


Light Up the Dark

by Lillyanne33



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action & Romance, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Ben Solo - Freeform, Character Death, Cute, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Dorks in Love, Drama & Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Falling In Love, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Forbidden Love, Force Bond (Star Wars), Happily Ever After, Happy Ending, Humor, Idiots in Love, Kylo Ren - Freeform, Kylo Ren Redemption, Love, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Protective Rey (Star Wars), Rey - Freeform, Reylo - Freeform, Romance, Scavenger Rey (Star Wars), Sex, Shower Sex, Smut, Some Humor, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, The Force, True Love, Vaginal Sex, not Rey or Ben
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:28:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 25,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27494989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lillyanne33/pseuds/Lillyanne33
Summary: This story starts a couple of months after The Last Jedi's events.Rey and Kylo Ren reunite, and the tension, both Dark/Light and romantic/sexual, is palpable as both try to outsmart the other to complete their missions.
Relationships: Finn/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron & Rey, Poe Dameron/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	1. Kylo Makes a Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first fan fiction I wrote after at least 17 years, so I feel like this story is a bit rough. This is a reylo story, something I wrote almost as soon as I left the theater after watching TROS. I think my writing style has evolved since this very first story, so I hope you check out my other fics as well. I hope you all enjoy!!

Kylo Ren jerked his head towards the window of his suite that faced the festival. He had tried for weeks to contact Rey, but she had shut him out, for good it seemed. Their Force bond seemed to have died along with the former Supreme Leader who claimed he was responsible for their connection.

But there was a twitch, something in the Force that moved, causing him to search for her Force signature which seemed to have flickered from the large crowd outside. It was so small that he thought for a second that he was mistaken, but he knew. She was there.

Anger swallowed him at the thought of Rey having the nerve to sneak up on him, attack him with no warning, like he wouldn't catch her. Who did she think she was? She was just an unimportant scavenger who meant nothing and no longer had a place in Kylo's plans to build his empire. She would never be as strong in the Force as he was now that Luke was dead. She was no longer a threat.

His lips twisted slightly into a smirk at the thought of his old master, dead.

He would deal with Rey the next time they met...somehow. He knew he couldn't bring himself to kill her, and this fueled his anger even more. He had let himself believe she cared for him...such a foolish idea. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

But that warm feeling kept creeping into his bones, pulling him to her light. He shook his head in a rage, storming out of the room and knocking over two service droids in the process. Their injured beeps echoed through the hall as he marched to the command center.

"Send a squadron of troopers to sweep the area. I have reason to believe the resistance is here," he commanded General Hux, a rat-like man with red hair and sharp features.

"Yes, Supreme Leader," he sneered. He never bothered to hide his disdain for the young leader and taunted him every chance he got. Kylo didn't take the bait this time, though. Let Hux say whatever he wanted to make himself feel important. Kylo would eventually kill him anyway, so why not have a little fun in the process?

Kylo made his way to the main ramp of his luxury ship and stepped out into the roaring sounds of the crowd and the band. He detested these types of events, but the First Order needed funding, and Corruscant was their most generous supporter. They had invited their new Supreme Leader to join them for their annual outdoor festival. He had wanted to say no, but he had to keep up appearances if he wanted their top political leaders on his side now that Snoke was dead.

There were thousands of people in front of him and no sign of Rey's Force signature. He knew she was blocking him, and it had to be exhausting to do so for this length of time. An idea occurred to him, and he almost smiled.

Focusing on an unsuspecting trooper, Kylo pulled him over to his side with the Force and lifted him off the ground. The trooper hung in terror waiting for the Supreme Leader to speak. He winced as Kylo proceeded to hurl commands at the quaking man in white armor.

Knowing that smoke would be used during the performance due to a long, LONG conversation with the director of public affairs, Kylo congratulated himself now for not killing the man before he had finished speaking. It was the perfect way to capture her; lacing the smoke with a drug to incapacitate her.

The trooper nodded furiously with a "Yes, Supreme Leader!" as he was dropped and ran, thankful to be away from the intimidating masked man.

A dark thought flashed behind Kylo's eyes as he thought about the possibilities of such a drug. She would be under his complete control, at his mercy. She would pay for the many weeks of silence and pain she had put him through. He would make her scream his name for each day they were apart. He could strap her into the interrogation chair again and really dig into her mind. Or maybe this time he would torture her in a different way...he shifted himself as his growing arousal tried to break through his clothes.

He felt the Light pull at him as his thoughts darkened, breaking his fantasy. That small part of him that was Ben Solo just wouldn't die.

'Fuck!' He thought to himself. Ben Solo was dead. He was DEAD. He was weak, constantly pulling him to the Light side of the force...to her light.

No, he would do whatever he pleased, Ben Solo be damned. Rey was his, and she was never leaving him again.


	2. Just Force Things

Rey was making her way towards the back of the festival crowd when thick, pink smoke started billowing from small holes in the ground. It reflected the laser lights in an interesting way, and the crowd cheered as it became thicker. She laughed at how ridiculous the whole spectacle was, but she had to admit she was having a little fun.

As she pushed her way through, Rey felt her head start to feel fuzzy. The crowd started to spin and the noise grew dim in her ears. She stopped and steadied herself, holding her hands out from her sides for balance. She felt light and happy, too happy.

Then it hit her. The smoke was laced with something, and she couldn't get out in time to avoid the effects. Her body swayed back and forth on her wobbly legs trying to view the crowd. Everything was blurry and tinted with different colors, like a kaleidoscope. She tried to fight the effects of the smoke by entering into a state of meditation, but it was no use. She had already breathed in a significant amount and couldn't resist the euphoria that bloomed around her.

She felt their Force bond roar to life. Kylo Ren was going to find her, the mission would be jeopardized. But for the moment, she didn't care. She turned around to face the stage and smiled a lazy smile while she moved sluggishly to the music.

A warm feeling started wrapping around her body like a snake and pulled her backwards. She leaned into it, not yet comprehending what it was but trusted it anyway. She felt hot breath at her ear and every nerve in her body ignited with electricity as she heard the familiar deep voice rumble straight into her soul.

'How naughty of you to try and trick me, scavenger,' Kylo Ren growled into her thoughts. Rey's eyes rolled back into her head as her mind turned into mush.

'I don't...know what you're talking about," she replied through their bond with a very noticeable slur. She didn't know thoughts could slur.

'Oh, I think you do.' He nipped her ear lobe gently and placed his hands on her waist. She shivered at his touch.

'How are you...what are you doing...I don't see you,' Rey muttered as she turned from side to side, searching for him. The invisible Kylo caught her as she lost her balance.

'Just having a little fun with the Force,' he replied cooly as he slid an invisible hand down her back. She couldn't help but lean into his touch. 'Now that I have you here, why don't you explain what you're doing on this planet wearing...this.'

Invisible Kylo moved to face her and pulled at the slit in her skirt suggestively. She tried to hold her skirt together and close her legs, but it was just too high of a slit.

Then she felt his hands caress her neck. She couldn't control the small moan that escaped her mouth in such an inebriated state. His large hands moved delicately down the edges of her body, starting from the beaded straps of her cropped shirt and barely brushing down the sides of her breasts, as he slowly reached the exposed skin of her stomach. His fingers explored her bare midriff, causing goosebumps, making Rey's breathing completely stop. Kylo swirled his invisible thumbs in circles on her sides, lightly dipping them under the fabric of her skirt's waistband in and out one agonizing movement at a time.

'I came for the food,' Rey replied sarcastically, slurring as she tried to breathe normally. Kylo's invisible fingers slid back up her ribs and onto her shoulders as he moved to stand behind her. He held her against him, putting pressure on her shoulders so she couldn't lean away. She could feel his chest crushed against her back and his arousal growing against her spine.

'So you're saying you didn't come to see me?' Kylo asked playfully, letting his lips trail down the back of her neck.

Her breath caught in her throat as the tone of his voice seeped into her deepest parts. He cocked an eyebrow as he listened to her thoughts, biting her shoulder lightly. She gasped.

She felt him sweep her hair to the side. 'Why do I feel like that's a lie?'

More kisses burned across her shoulder and back to her ear. Something was igniting inside of her.

'Because you...think the galaxy revolves around...you.' Rey could feel herself spinning, but she had just enough control to sass him even though her thoughts were a slurred mess. 'Contrary...to what you think, you...aren't the Force's gift to the universe.'

Desire melted down her body like an ice cube melting over a fire, pooling into her womanhood. She could feel the wetness it produced between her legs. She squeezed her thighs together to keep the sensations from increasing. Kylo suppressed a chuckle.

'You're right. I'm just the Force's gift to YOU.' He grinned wolfishly against her neck so she could feel his expression.

A groan of need left her mouth before she could stop it. His hand held her firmly by the shoulder.

'Only in your...wildest dreams, Kylo Supreme...Leader...Leader Ren.' She tried to sound determined, but her voice clearly betrayed her.

'You have no idea, Scavenger,' he replied, sliding his hand back down her side along the same path as before and grazing her ribs until he was holding her tightly by the hip.

'I could easily take you right here, right now if I wanted to,' he spoke even lower now as his voice reverberated through her chest. He slid the other hand that was at her shoulder across her collar bone and tightened it around her neck, his cheek touching her cheek as he leaned over from behind her. He forced her chin up in the air. His voice was thick with lust that sent her body into tremors. 'The things I could do to you, trapping you in the crowd, helpless.'

Rey felt her knees shake as she struggled to stay upright. The sensations in her lower regions were so strong that she could feel muscle spasms inside of her, something she had never experienced before. She felt like she was about to fly apart at the sound of his voice alone.

Suddenly, she felt nothing as she was lifted off the ground and pulled to the back of the very drugged and smoky crowd where troopers stood armed and ready. She came face to face with Kylo in the flesh. He set her down gently and caught her as she started to fall backwards. With one wave of his hand, he willed her unconscious and scooped her up in his arms. A trooper came running to his side.

"Supreme Leader, we detected explosives in multiple places throughout the area and on our ships. I have sent out a group to deactivate them and find the scum who placed them there. Your ship is ready to depart immediately."

"Good. Kill every rebel you find and get out of my way," Kylo snapped as he walked swiftly to his ship. He made his way up the already open hatch, the heat from Rey's body flooding his skin under all of his armor. A dark smile grew under his masked face.


	3. How the Master Gained an Apprentice

Rey's eyelids drooped as her head spun around the darkened room. She was laying on something soft...a bed. It was a giant bed with plump pillows and the softest black sheets she'd ever touched. She ran her hands over the bottom sheet as she shifted and rolled her body onto her stomach, sprawling across the mattress, thinking she was dreaming.

The lights were dim with a red hue illuminating the walls of the room. A giant window from floor to ceiling added a stunning view of stars against the blackness of space. Space...stars...wait.

Rey shot up off the bed and landed in a defensive position on the floor in front of a large night stand supporting the red hued lamp. She was still dressed, thank the Force, and she could finally think clearly. She felt for her lightsaber strapped in her oversized boots...it was gone. Her eyes scanned the room until she saw a familiar dark shape in the corner, sitting next to the window. She could feel the satisfaction radiating from him as if he was an arrogant star permeating space, letting the galaxies around him know how clever he was.

"Kylo Ren," Rey said softly as she turned towards his chair.

She watched as the intimidating figure rose and walked towards the starlight filtering through the window. His gloved hands were clasped behind his back, his posture perfectly straight while a black cape swept across the floor behind him.

'He's still wearing that despicable mask,' she thought to herself. It disgusted her.

"Scavenger," Kylo robotically returned the greeting as he stopped in the middle of the room. "You're awake."

"Apparently," she snapped. "What happened and where am I?"

Kylo shrugged his shoulders as if he could care less. "You and your rebel scum attempted an assassination of the First Order's top political leaders among other heinous acts that I'm sure of which you are aware."

Rey laughed unexpectedly, making Kylo jump ever so slightly at the outburst. She's laughing?

His robotic voice sounded like the bringer of death as he continued. "I already have the information I need, thanks to those resistance scum you call friends."

Rey laughed again. "What makes you think there were others with me?" She was certain they had escaped. Their plan had been full proof, her team was the best of the best.

"Because we found them and executed them, of course."

Rey's eyes widened in horror as she dropped to her knees. Kylo watched as waves of grief and guilt ran through her body. He felt guilty watching her cry and felt an overwhelming urge to comfort her. 'Compassion is a weakness,' he thought angrily. "She rejected me; she deserves no compassion from me.'

After a few moments, Rey raised her head and met his eyes. Tears flowed freely down her face as she shook violently. She had an expression of pure hatred that made Kylo shift back slightly.

"It's just us now," he stated through the menacing face of his helmet.

"At least now they won't have to suffer your unbearable presence,' she hissed. Kylo physically reacted to Rey's dark humor, inhaling quickly. It fueled his Dark side and made him almost giddy. He had never seen her act like this before.

Rey didn't give him a chance to respond before she continued. "What now?"

She was speaking through gritted teeth. Kylo was as still as a statue now, his mechanical voice even. The Darkness was already flowing through her. How could she not see that she is supposed to join him?

"You wanted to accept my hand once. You refused. Since you won't come willingly, I'm capturing you as a prisoner of the First Order. You will give me everything you know about the resistance."

Rey furrowed her brows, still maintaining eye contact. "I would rather die."

Kylo took a step forward and kneeled, lowering his masked face so it was level with Rey's eyes.

"There are worse things than dying, scavenger," his robotic voice threatened.

She swallowed. "Like having to stand here and listen to you."

She could feel Kylo's eyes burning into her through the visor of his helmet. She felt his rage, but surprisingly, he stayed calm. She even felt a sense of amusement coming through the bond.

"You once told me to let old things die," Rey continued. "I used this mission as an opportunity to speak with you about becoming your apprentice."

Now it was Kylo's turn to laugh.

"You honestly expect me to believe that? You are a foolish girl."

Rey was quick on her feet. She had to make him believe her. Fast.

"I saw the vision again. I think...I think I was meant to rule with you. I think you were right."

There was silence. He finally reached up and removed his helmet with a sharp hiss. He held it at his side and ran his other gloved hand through his hair. His face was stone. She could tell he wasn't buying it, so she continued.

"I understand I need a teacher if I am to fulfill my destiny. If I am the one to turn, then so be it. But I won't stand by and let this power go to waste when there is someone who...who can show me."

Kylo's eye twitched, but otherwise he didn't move.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" He probed. He was emotionless.

Rey took a deep breath. "I want to belong. I don't want to be nothing anymore."

Kylo's eyes widened. He probed her mind suddenly, causing her to shrink back in pain. When he realized she was telling the truth, because she actually WAS being honest, he pulled away and stepped back.

"And what about the resistance?"

Rey took another deep breath. "I will join you as long as you agree to a truce with the resistance. I want my friends to stay alive."

Kylo's eyes narrowed.

"You know I can't call a truce, Rey," he said flatly. Rey hid her shock as he used her real name. "You don't get to sacrifice yourself for your so-called friends. You will not be a martyr to them."

"Then you should go ahead and kill me because this is the only way I'll join you." Rey felt her confidence grow as she noticed Kylo's face crack slightly at the thought of her dying. "Otherwise, I will spend every minute of everyday trying to escape until some trooper loses his cool and kills me anyway."

Kylo's anger flared, and he turned away from her abruptly, letting out a snarl as he paced the room. Rey watched as he attempted to control his emotions. He reminded her of a little boy she knew on base who threw a tantrum every time he came to the mess hall because his mother tried to make him eat his vegetables.

Kylo pinched his nose between his eyebrows and squeezed his eyes closed frustratedly, then turned to face her. "I will call a TEMPORARY truce with the resistance if you complete your training with me," He said tightly, turning to face her again. "Once you have completed your training, you will obey my orders, even if that means ending the truce, ending your precious resistance."

"Agreed."

Kylo stared at her in disbelief. Did she really just agree?

"Understand me, scavenger," Kylo's voice was more threatening than she had ever heard it before, "I am your master now. There is no going back. The First Order is your home now."

Rey swallowed but kept her composure. "I understand...Master," she said, purposefully emphasizing his title to show she could be obedient.

Kylo's lips opened and his brows furrowed as he took in her words. His eyes held a mix of shock and skepticism. He was ready for pushback, for her fiery temper to get the best of her. But it never came.

Rey knew exactly what she was doing. She was going to be the best damn apprentice there ever was so she had access to everything. She would have to be smarter and stronger than him in order to kill him and take down the First Order from the inside. She carefully guarded this thought, tucking it away into a box in her mind where he couldn't easily find it.

His face contorted more as he stepped forward and examined her closely. She loved how he found her unpredictable and how it drove him crazy. She suppressed a smile as she watched him try to comprehend her obedience, her restraint.

His face turned to stone again as he took in the sight of her. Both Force users were carefully guarded for the moment as they thought through their arrangement.

"It's done, then," Kylo stated authoritatively. He turned to put his helmet back on. "Do you have any questions?"

Rey stepped close to him, so close he could feel the heat radiating from her scantily clad body. His face flushed at her proximity, and he was thankful he had covered his face before this moment.

"Not a question. Just...I just wanted to thank you for not..." Rey hesitated, "for not taking advantage of me after our...encounter at the festival."

Kylo's stomach dropped through the floor as he realized she remembered what happened. How could she remember? She was so high, she could hardly stand or speak.

He coughed loudly and cleared his throat.

"I would be a poor example for the First Order if I acted on every...primal urge instead of thinking through my actions. No thanks necessary."

Rey couldn't believe how polite he just was. She knew this time she couldn't hide her incredulous expression, but she didn't care. She nodded, making sure to keep her head bowed a moment longer as a sign of loyalty.

"That's very wise, Master."

Kylo groaned loudly, thoroughly confused again by her reaction. Why wasn't she angry?

"I consider that an act of trust between Master and apprentice." This was Rey's final attack. "We promise to trust each other, right?"

Lying to his face, Rey felt her stomach contort with guilt, but she kept her thoughts blank.

Kylo stared at her dumbfounded. He couldn't trust her, she couldn't trust him. But he wanted this so badly...

"I promise." He almost whispered, knowing it was a lie.

"Okay," Rey muttered as she looked down at her feet. She shouldn't feel guilty for lying to him, she tried to tell herself. It was for the greater good.

"I will have your new living quarters ready in a few hours," Kylo changed the subject quickly. "Until then, you are not to leave this room. I will know immediately if you do. DO NOT test me."

Rey nodded as he waved the door shut behind him. As soon as she was alone, she fell to the floor again, sobbing violently until she felt she was going to be sick.

Dead. All of them. She pictured each of her friends who had perished at the hands of the First Order. She could see their smiling faces, standing ready in their uniforms to follow her to their doom. It was all her fault.

'I will not let him get to me this time,' she thought, searing with rage. 'I will stand strong, I will do whatever I can to ensure victory. Victory for the resistance. Victory for you.'

She sniffled as her sobs started to quiet as a new feeling took over.

'You will not have died in vain," she declared to herself, feeling her determination taking over her defeat. 'You will NOT have died in vain.'


	4. Kylo Argues With Himself

Kylo stood outside of his suite for a few moments, thinking through everything Rey had said. He wanted so badly for her to be there for HIM, not just for her training, not just for the resistance. But in time she would see that they were meant to rule together...be together. He would make sure she turned from her friends and obliterated them all. All for him, for the First Order, for the Dark side.

He felt a surge of determination, but he was immediately overcome with shame that swiped his determination away. Rey had remembered what he said and did to her in the crowd while she was drugged. He cringed at her words, at himself.

'Didn't think she'd remember that,' he sulked. She hadn't been as out of it as she looked. 

He hung his head. No...no. He would not let her get to him. He could take whatever he wanted without question, without feeling. She should have thanked him for bringing her to his suite, for laying her on his bed and letting her sleep peacefully. He could have thrown her into a prison cell or worse.

He clenched his fists. 

'She has to turn to the Dark side. Not only will she turn, she will choose me over everyone in the end when I'm through with her,' he thought to himself as he made his way to the nearest humanoid droid.

"Prepare suite 200 for a female guest immediately," he commanded. The droid, who looked like a black, upgraded version of C3P0, responded with a high-pitched, robotic "Yes, Supreme Leader," as it shuffled away, fearing an encounter similar to the service droids' encounter earlier that day.


	5. Rey Practices Her New Role

Rey stood in the middle of her new room and surveyed the area. There was a bed, a night stand, a small table with a couple of chairs, a holopad installed in the wall opposite the bed, a closet full of clothing and shoes, and a door to the refresher. She opened it and saw that the refresher was covered in beautiful black marble. Everything seemed to shine against the light.

Kylo stood with his hands behind his back and waited by the table. He watched Rey intently, studying her every move. How she walked, how she played with the belts around her skirt waist anxiously, how she chewed the inside corner of her mouth when she was thinking about something intensely. He could watch her simply breathe and never tire of her.

"Is the suite to your liking?" Kylo asked softly. Rey made her way back to the middle of the room and sat down on the side of the bed, pulling the slit of her skirt as far over her thigh as she could. Kylo couldn't help but watch. Her skin looked so smooth...

"Master?" Rey stared at him as he snapped back to their conversation. 

"Can you repeat that?" He spoke more quietly than he intended.

"I said it's fine, thank you."

Kylo cleared his throat and shifted nervously. "Good, good. I suggest getting some sleep with the little time left before the shift change. It's almost morning here as you can see from the day-to-night simulator." He pointed to the corner of the ceiling. Rey noticed a small box installed into the wall.

"I will, Master."

"Questions?" He started to move towards the door.

"What should I expect for tomorrow?"

Kylo thought for a minute. "You will receive orders from me via your holopad there and the portable one over on the table. The two devices are synced."

Rey nodded and stared down at the floor. Kylo couldn't tell what she was feeling. He definitely sensed anger, but there was something else he didn't recognize. 

"Anymore questions?"

"That's all, Master." Rey fought the urge to be sarcastic. 'Control yourself, Rey,' she thought as she gripped the edges of the mattress until her knuckles were white.

"I would also recommend wearing...something...else...tomorrow," Kylo tried to sound confident, but his voice wavered as he noticed Rey's skirt had opened wider at the slit, exposing both of her thighs as she tried to pull the fabric over herself, unsuccessfully. He noticed how she blushed at his words and looked down at the floor again. He felt the heat flowing between them through the Force. Now Kylo was flushed.

"Yes, Master," Rey replied without looking up. Kylo nodded, walked to the doors, waved them open, and almost ran into them as he tried to flee from the room as casually as possible.


	6. Hair Pins

Rey laid in her bed wearing new sleeping clothes and stared at the ceiling. She was clean and warm, something to which she still wasn't accustomed. Food had been sent to her room via droid while she had showered, and she had walked out to a large spread of fruits, breads, meats, and drinks that seemed to have been prepared for royalty. As much as she wanted to rebel and fight the comforts of the First Order by refusing such luxuries, she gave in to hunger and exhaustion. She had awakened before her alarm and now lay listening to the bustling outside her door while she thought back to when Kylo had found her in the crowd.

'He thought I wouldn't remember.' She laughed quietly. How arrogant he was to think his antics would fly under the radar. 

Suddenly, she snapped upright in the bed.

'I had...enjoyed...his advances,' she realized, a new horror sweeping over her body. 'And he knew it.'

She had buried Kylo so deep in her mind that she had convinced herself she felt nothing for the man other than hatred. Every time she trained in the small patch of field outside the base, she focused on his face, on the scar she had given him when they first fought. She would picture herself slicing through that same scar, except this time he wouldn't be able to walk away. She twirled her saber at her side, Luke's saber that had called to her in Maz's cantina. Rey was elegant, her feet seeming to not reach the ground as she fenced with her invisible enemy. Kylo would die for his crimes, and it would be her who would strike the final blow.

However, everything had rushed back once that drug had kicked in a few hours before. How he had looked at her in the hut when they touched hands for the very first time. How he had asked her to join him in the throne room, bodies littered everywhere as fire sweeping across the ceiling. She remembered his eyes when he waited for an answer, the hope and pain and fear inside those dark orbs that made her want to swim in them. And now, she remembered how he had touched her in that crowd, invisible to everyone, using the Force to seduce her freely, no holds barred. And she had liked it...no. She had loved it. 

'No, no, no, no, no, no,' Rey silently screamed to herself. It was too late to hide those thoughts now, so she decided to leave them exposed. Maybe it would help her in the end. 

'I can do this. If he lets his attraction get the best of him, then it will just be another weapon I can use to gain more information.' 

But could she really carry on a fake relationship with Ben...no, no, he wasn't Ben anymore...with Kylo Ren without developing her old feelings for him? 

'If I feel anything, then it's just physical attraction. You can't love someone who murdered your friends.'

Why did the word love even come up right now? There was no love there. She had to be cold and calculated. Her heart wasn't a part of this anymore. It was for the resistance. She was the only one who could bring down the First Order.

She shook her head as if she could physically shake out all the feelings.

With a deep breath, she reached out to him through their bond. He responded almost instantly.

'Apprentice.' His deep, melodic voice hit her like a brick and she jumped.

'Master,' she communicated back through her mind.

'You're up earlier than the scheduled time I gave you. I told you to sleep.' She felt how frustrated he was, but it wasn't coming from his darkness. It was as if he was worried about her health. He could worry all he wanted; it didn't matter to her.

'I'm sorry, Master. I can't sleep right now. I'm not used to sleeping much anyway.'

'Would you like some company for breakfast?'

Rey squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't mean she wanted him to visit. But she was so lonely, and Kylo brought a strange comfort to her even as she raged against him, even as his very existence made her crazy.

'That would be fine, Master,' she responded, trying to control her frustration so he wouldn't ask questions.

'I'm on my way.'

She ran to her closet and pulled out a thick black robe and tied it around her. She made sure that every button was buttoned and that she was covered even down to her toes. She cleaned her teeth with some kind of fancy First Order toothbrush that announced the status of her gum health as she set it back down in its holder. 'That has to be the most irritating thing I've ever seen...besides him,' she thought to herself. 

She sat down at her little table and folded her legs up against her chest in her chair. Her hair was a mess, pointing in every direction. She had tried brushing out the braids that Rose had so intricately pinned before her mission but kept finding missed pins embedded throughout the tresses. After she ripped out a small chunk of hair attached to a pin that caught on her brush, she stopped. Nothing was worth that.

She jumped slightly as the doors to her suite slid open and Kylo Ren walked in with his usual powerful gait. Curiously, his obnoxious helmet was missing and his inky black hair looked tidier than usual as it hung down to his shoulders in soft waves. It begged to be touched, to have her run her fingers through the shiny locks that brushed against his masculine jaw...Rey mentally slapped herself.

Kylo stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Rey, looking her up and down and finally resting his eyes on her hair. 

"Apprentice..." He tried to hold back a small smirk but it crept to the corner of his lips anyway. Rey turned a bright shade of red while trying to smooth her hair down with her hands.

"I can't get all the pins out," she blurted out, frustrated. Kylo raised an eyebrow at her blunt honesty. There was something almost intimate in her voice.

"Need help?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. 'Damnit Kylo,' he scolded himself.

Rey stared at him for a moment then nodded yes. 

Kylo unhooked his long black cloak and draped it over the second empty chair and moved to stand behind Rey who was still seated. Something about his cloak draped over her chair made the hair stand up on her arms. 

She stiffened in the chair as his body brushed against the back of her head. He was actually going to pull hair pins out of her hair.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Rey asked apprehensively.

"No," Kylo responded without hesitation and with a bit of frustration, making Rey smile in spite of herself. 

He slowly started moving his gloved fingers through the mass of hair, gently grazing her scalp as he felt for pins. His hands were almost too big to complete such a task as he fumbled around, but it didn't matter. His touch alone was enough to send her into a spiral of self-deprecation. He was so gentle...

"Ow!" Rey exclaimed. Kylo jerked his hands away at her yell, pulling even more on the strands that had caught on his gloved hand.

"OW!" She yelled again. "Take your GLOVES off!"

Not used to taking orders from anyone, Kylo hovered for a second until he finally slid is gloves off and laid them on the table in front of Rey.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he went back to work.

He had just apologized to her. That actually happened. Her MASTER had apologized.

Rey was in a state of panic. How did the morning end up like this? How did she even end up here? Down was up and up was down as she shuddered at his touch. It was just so absurd. The great Supreme Leader Kylo Ren pulling pins out of a lowly scavenger's hair. She laughed in spite of her self, making Kylo jump.

He heard her thoughts. Annoyed at her lack of self-esteem, he gripped her hair with his hand and pulled, causing her head to jerk back, slightly bouncing against his torso. 

"You are no longer a lowly scavenger. You are MY apprentice," he growled. Rey bit her bottom lip as she felt her head resting on his abs, abs she could feel through his clothing. 

Her mouth caught Kylo's attention, and he stared for a second until she let her lip go. He softened a little. "I...can't have you parading around with your hair like this."

Rey couldn't hold back her laugh, picturing herself walking next to Kylo around the ship with her hair a wild rat's nest. He watched her as if he were in a trance while Rey played out the scene for him in her mind. Her laugh was uncontrolled, her head bouncing against his abdomen. It was a sound that made him feel alive. He felt lighter, somehow.

Her laughing subsided however, as her thoughts slid back to her usual ones. She was still a scavenger, a no one, a nothing. It didn't matter what she looked like. She was simply playing dress up until this was all over.

Kylo couldn't stand watching her tear herself apart. He gripped her hair again aggressively and pulled her head all the way back so she could see his eyes. She stopped breathing.

"You are not nothing anymore," he said quietly, looking down and never breaking eye contact. "You were never nothing to me."

The bond was surging with energy as they felt each other's emotions simultaneously.

Rey felt her entire body flush as they stared at each other. Kylo was holding her neck back as far as it would go. His grip made her feel strangely powerful. 

That familiar desire began flooding her body up through her thighs to THAT area that had decided to make itself known now that Kylo was around again. She gripped the table, attempting to steady her breathing. Kylo released her and went back to searching for the elusive pins. He shifted to hide his arousal from her, feeling exposed even though she couldn't see him behind her.

"I can't find anymore," he mumbled as he held up the last pin and placed it on the table next to the others. Rey ran her fingers through her hair, accidentally touching his hand that was still sitting gently on top of her head. She stopped abruptly and felt him move a finger to linger on top of hers. Rey felt herself start to spin as Kylo swiftly pulled his hand away, making sure he didn't pull her hair this time. 

He walked towards the door and turned back to her, trying to collect himself. He pulled his gloves back on and fastened his cloak back in place.

"I forgot about an important meeting I was supposed to attend, so I can no longer stay as planned."

His voice quivered as he lied to the bundle of fluff that was Rey, sitting in the chair with her knees up to her chest, her hair even messier than before. It was as if his mind had shut down and he was no longer Kylo Ren. He was someone else entirely as he gazed at the tiny woman softly massaging her head. She was hypnotizing, her disheveled look only enticing him more. 

Rey heard his thoughts and shrunk down into her overly large robe as if it would hide her from the incredibly tall, broad, beautiful man in front of her.

"Of course, Master," she said quietly...knowingly. 

Kylo cleared his throat.

"Eat and clean yourself up. We begin your training today." His voice was hard and demanding again. "Your schedule will be sent over shortly. DO NOT be late. If you are so much as a minute late, there will be consequences."

Rey straightened in her chair. "Absolutely, Master," she said confidently. Kylo wished with everything he had that she would stop using his title so frequently. He hadn't thought about what that word would do to him coming out of Rey's perfectly shaped mouth.

He waved the doors open and stomped out of the room, leaving Rey to her thoughts, dangerous thoughts that she couldn't control. She would never look at a hair pin the same way again.


	7. Playing a Game

The training session ended. Kylo was shirtless, glistening with sweat and breathing heavily as he replaced their two practice staffs back into the weapons locker. He had bested her, but he would never admit how hard he had to work to do it. 

He picked up a towel and wiped his face and neck as he watched Rey leaned against the wall across the room, silently staring at the floor. She was wobbly while she struggled to take in air. He watched a trickle of sweat travel down her neck, curving over the exposed skin of her cleavage, and finally sliding between her breasts into the black binding she wore wrapped around her chest. She was missing her modest tunic and sported a new pair of sweat pants. Her signature arm wraps were now black to match the rest of the ensemble. 

Kylo jerked his head away when she turned towards him. She sure was taking her sweet time putting her shirt back on. 

He knew she was doing this to him on purpose, and it was another one of those things that confused the hell out of him. She had looked like a Wookiee earlier that morning, wrapped so tightly in her fur robe that only her eyes were visible. Then she showed up for training wearing nothing but her body wraps and a pair of cloth pants that left him breathless.

Rey turned her head so she could see Kylo in her peripheral. She couldn't stop her eyes from running over his broad chest. The scars that marked his shoulders and pecks called to her fingers, asking to be touched, especially the scar she had given him that ran up from his shoulder to his eyebrow. There was a trail of dark hair running down his abdomen that disappeared under his loose black pants. She wanted to follow it and see where it ended. 

She realized she was openly staring when her eyes met his.

She saw Kylo smirk and knew he had heard her thoughts. She ran angrily towards him, igniting her lightsaber in lieu of a staff. The next thing they knew, the room was exploding with the Force as they sparred together.

**

She had hardly spoken the entire day, only to respond or to ask questions. Rey wasn't one to keep her opinions to herself, and Kylo couldn't figure out what had come over her since she had been captured. Normally, she would be fighting him tooth and nail on every subject, but instead he was met with a meek young woman seeking the approval of her master. 

She was slowly driving him mad.

"We will have another lesson tomorrow. I'll send you the schedule when we get back," Kylo spoke sharply as they walked side by side out of the training room. Rey's shirt was back on, thankfully. He didn't think he could handle another minute of her exposed skin.

"Yes, Master Ren," Rey replied, unphased. She looked up to meet his eyes with a nod, lingering for only a second before turning to face forward again. 

Kylo thought he was going to jump out of his skin if she didn't say something snarky or try to argue with him.

They reached Kylo's suite and stood together awkwardly for a second. Rey's room was two doors down from his, so she had no choice but to walk past his door every day.

"I'll be going now, Master," Rey stated as she started turning away, but Kylo grabbed her by the arm roughly and pulled her in front of him so she would look at him.

"What are you doing?" He asked threateningly. He was going to find out what was happening, even if he had to strap her back into the interrogation chair. Which wasn't a bad idea to him.

Rey stifled the panic that tried to flood her body. He was on to her.

"Master?" Rey questioned with wide eyes and a fake innocence that both elated and burned him.

"I will not be manipulated, Rey. Not with silence or..." he looked down at her body then back to her eyes, "or..." then made a sweeping gesture from her shoulders to her knees as he struggled to form words, "with whatever you're doing here!" He didn't want to admit his attraction, so he wouldn't say seduction or flirtation. 

Rey's lips curled into the cruelest smile he had ever seen from her.

"I thought talking less and listening more would be wise, especially during training," she said with an air of satisfaction as she watched him fume. "And I wasn't sure how hot the training room would be, so I didn't wear my new uniform. You know, the one with the long sleeves and thick material around the neck." She gestured to her neck and grimaced at the thought of the rough fabric squeezing her arms. It wasn't a total lie. "I'm glad I didn't!"

Kylo narrowed his eyes as she spoke. 

Rey continued her assault. "If my clothing is too distracting for you, then I'll wear something else. Can't have you losing focus in case I accidentally slice your arm off."

There she was, the Rey he had craved for so long. Kylo's face flushed crimson as his skin burned with anger and desire. So this was how it was going to be.

"Yes, that would be unfortunate. But it won't be necessary, my courteous apprentice." He slid his hand up under her shirt so he could feel the edges of the binding along her ribs. He glided underneath the fabric and suddenly pulled it down with his fingers. Her binding came apart under her shirt, held together only by one last knot at her back.

Rey's breath hitched in her throat loudly. His deep brown eyes bore into hers. He moved his face so close to hers that they almost touched noses. 

"One last lesson for the day. Remember that your opponent will use your weaknesses against you." He moved closer until his full lips whispered against her own, causing Rey to shiver. His eyes turned black as night. "Don't leave them exposed, or he will most certainly take advantage of them."

Kylo snapped back from her face like a snake returning from its strike. His door opened and shut before Rey could formulate a response. 

She stood in front of his room trying to readjust her undergarment. 'That asshole,' she thought as she shifted the bag on her shoulder and walked quickly to her suite. Once inside, she flopped face first onto her bed with a groan.

She rolled onto her back with a loud sigh. 'Remember, its just physical. That is NOT Ben. Leave your heart out of this.'

Her resolve was waning, and it was only day one. Her eyes flicked over to the pile of hair pins still laying on the table.


	8. Hot Water

The weeks that followed were filled with rigorous training and meditations. Rey felt her confidence soar as her power grew. Kylo was actually a great teacher, she hated to admit it. She had never made this kind of progress with Luke. 

Their bond strengthened each moment they were together. Anytime they touched, it was as if both of them ignited into flames. Neither had felt anything like this before, but no one admitted it. The light in Rey and the darkness in Kylo constantly pulled and pushed as the Force sought balance.

Rey had resisted him, but her fake submissive facade was starting to crack. She knew in her heart that she was abandoning her mission. She didn't have to kill him...she could bring him home.

Ben Solo was still in him. Ben Solo could turn the war around. 

Ben Solo could be able to love...

No, that was beyond inappropriate. Kylo Ren could be Ben Solo, but she loved her new family so much. Poe, Finn, Rose...how would they even start to understand?

It was late one night. Rey and Kylo were finally finished with a long practice battle that ended in a stalemate. Both were frustrated and exhausted as they made their way to their refreshers. 

Letting her clothes fall to the floor, Rey stepped into the shower and turned on the water, letting steam fill the room and fog up the glass shower door. She lay her forehead against the wall and let the water soothe her aching muscles. If she had a choice, she would stay there forever. Showers weren't an option on Jakku, and Rey was in awe every time the water spilled out of the shower head onto her body.

A few minutes passed. She washed her hair with a concoction that had the most wonderful scent, taking her time to thoroughly cleanse her scalp as if it would rid her of her affections for Kylo.

Her thoughts traveled as she felt the suds slide down her bare skin leaving a tingling sensation. She shuddered at the thought of his hands traveling the same path, caressing her breasts, her stomach, arriving at her most private area that seemed to throb with need every time she saw him. The mystery of sex only fueled her fantasies as she imagined Kylo taking control of her body, showing her everything she was missing like he had with the Force.

She half groaned, half snarled as she squeezed her eyes shut and slammed her fist into the shower wall. She hated the fact that he could hear her every night, but she was too emotionally exhausted to stop him at this point. She wasn't even sure she wanted him to stop. 

**

Kylo heard her struggle with her thoughts and feelings nightly. He tried to block them, finding things to do outside of his room. This had driven him to call meetings after their training sessions just so he could resist the temptation to tear her door down. General Hux was particularly annoyed at the odd hours, and that fueled Kylo's motive even more. 

But there was no meeting tonight. He was alone on his couch with nothing to do, so he gave in to his biggest weakness for the last time. At least, that's what he always said, but he had no self control.

Kylo's breathing was ragged. His eyes darkened with mischief as he reached through their bond with the Force like he had done back at the festival. This time though, their bond was stronger.

**

Rey felt warmth wrap itself around her like a blanket. Her eyes snapped open. This connection felt similar to the one she had experienced at the festival, except it was exponentially stronger. He wasn't just with her now, he was IN her, in her mind, in her body, taking over where all she could do was watch as he manipulated her. 

It was the strangest sensation being able to watch his consciousness in her own head. The feelings he emitted were loud and clear, so why wasn't she fighting?

She felt her own hand slide up to her chest, cup her breast and massage it. She gasped as she realized what was happening. She should fight him, attack him so he would retreat.

But she didn't. 

Her fingers grazed across her now hard nub and pinched. She let out a breathy scream at the sensation. The lightening traveled straight to the middle of her thighs.

Next, she, or Kylo to be more accurate, dragged her hand and fingers agonizingly slow down the side of her ribs to the top of that forbidden area. He pressed her hand into the soft hair that surrounded her folds, then slid it down to cup her opening. Rey moaned loudly, relishing the new sensation. 

Kylo placed her finger on the little button above her slit and stroked it, first up and down then in circles, alternating. She cried out as a new pleasure hit her for the first time in her life. He continued the motions as Rey leaned herself against the wall so she wouldn't collapse. She was whimpering as her wetness coated her hand, making the sensation even more intense.

She felt him take a finger from her other hand and slide it against her slit, grazing her folds lightly while maintaining a constant attack with her original hand on that electrified spot. Then, he pushed into her. He was gentle as he stretched her with her own finger for the first time. She caught her breath and whimpered louder as her walls spasmed against the intruder. 

He encouraged her to explore herself, noting every spot that made her convulse and moan. The constant friction was becoming too much for her as her fingers moved at his command. 

Her eyes rolled back in her head as the new feeling intensified and started to bloom. The water from the shower was pounding in her ears.

Suddenly, she felt a surge of pleasure that rocked her body forward. Her body seemed to turn inward into itself as the waves of the explosion washed over her. She was a bomb that had detonated, and she shook violently as she screamed out. Kylo forced her fingers to continue to move until the very end of her climax before he mercifully let go.

Rey slid down to the shower floor panting heavily. She felt him exit her mind as the warm feeling subsided. She was alone again.


	9. Rey Says Yes

Rey was determined to act completely normal. She didn't speak a word about the incident and neither did Kylo during next day's training session. But he noticed Rey's body language was stiffer than normal, something only he would pick up on. Add in her constant blushing and Kylo had everything he needed to know.

When they made eye contact, she forced herself to hold his gaze while he mentally replayed the events from the night before so she could see herself from his point of view. With every strike of their lightsabers, Kylo tried to distract her with images of her nude body or her face twisted in passion. But she refused to blink, she wanted the upper hand today. Kylo snarled in frustration as she rained blow after blow, never faltering.

As they walked back to their quarters together, Kylo fumed at Rey's lack of reaction. He knew she enjoyed him. He knew she wanted more. Her silence and obedience made him want to rip the entire ship apart. Wasn't this what he had wanted? For Rey to be his unwavering, loyal apprentice?

They stopped in front of his door and stared at each other. Kylo's eyes took her in hungrily, and she was aware of that new sensation warming between her legs again. Rey's eyes were golden in the light, and Kylo found himself hypnotized. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, Master."

Kylo cocked his eye brow suspiciously. Rey bit her lower lip as she bowed her head.

"Mmhmm..." His voice was low and alluring as he watched her carefully. She was biting her lip again.

"I hope your meeting goes well. If you need me, I'll be in the...shower."

Kylo's eyes widened slightly at the way Rey said 'shower'. She couldn't help toying with him, it was too much fun. His quick wit always made her knees weak, but she only saw it rarely. 

"Right, yes. We did get rather dirty today," Kylo taunted back. 

Rey nodded while she screamed internally. She struggled to keep her mouth in a straight line. Kylo noticed.

"We certainly did."

Both stared for a moment, then Rey turned and headed to her suite before she lost control. 'I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't," she thought.

"Rey?" He called in a tone that almost made her cum right then and there. She turned her head over her shoulder slowly to look at him.

"Yes, Master?"

"The meeting can wait. I think I'll open a bottle of wine and relax tonight. You are welcome to join me after your...shower."

Rey couldn't stop her eyes from widening, making Kylo smirk. Her thoughts flew around in her head as she tried to steady her breathing. 'I CAN'T, I CAN'T, I CAN'T...whatever, who am I kidding. I can and I will.'

"Th...thank you," she stuttered, waving a mental white flag. "I guess...I guess I can skip tonight's meditation."

Kylo's heart leapt with anticipation at her response, but he kept his voice even.

"Be here in an hour." And with that, his door slid shut behind him.


	10. Permission

Rey was greeted by a shirtless Kylo. He wore loose-fitting black pants low on his hips, and his raven hair was tousled in the sexiest way. His pale, sculpted arms and chiseled torso were almost too much for her to behold. Sparkling dark brown eyes and full lips invited her in. Looking at him made her mind short circuit.

Kylo must have felt the same way as he stood frozen for a second, staring at Rey as if he had never seen her before. She wore a loose fitting, long sleeve top with leggings. Her hair was down and curled softly around her neck and shoulders. Kylo had never seen her hair down, and he was convinced he was in a dream. She was impossibly beautiful. 

He gestured for her to sit on a plush, black couch next to a large window. He handed her a glass of wine and poured himself one as well. He sat down next to her and crossed a leg over his opposite thigh and let his free arm rest on top of the back couch cushions. His hand hung loosely next to Rey's shoulder. 

Rey took a sip and melted into the couch. 

"This is delicious," She took another sip while Kylo watched her pink lips on the glass.

"I'm glad you like it." Kylo's lush lips pressed against his own glass as if he knew exactly what to do to drive her crazy. 

They talked for several hours. Rey was fascinated by how much he knew about the Force. He had experienced so much, most of it negative. His self-deprecation was overwhelming to her, and she wanted so much to show him that he wasn't some monster. He was an intelligent, powerful man, a man she couldn't get enough of. A man that had changed the course of her life, forever.

In addition, Kylo learned more about her past, about what made her spirit so strong and fiery. Knowing how she struggled as a desert scavenger shattered his heart. She deserved every luxury the galaxy could provide, and he vowed then and there to give it to her. She was the strongest person he'd ever met, this girl who wasn't afraid of him, that challenged him, that tested his temper to no end. She was thrilling.

The conversation started to die down as the hour grew late and the wine warmed their bodies. On this night, they were simply Kylo and Rey, no titles, no rules. Rey sighed and set her glass down on the small table in front of the couch. Kylo sat his glass down as well, and for a moment they just looked at each other. 

Kylo leaned over and swiped a piece of her hair from her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He moved closer so that their noses touched and he nuzzled her gently with his, making her smile. They were forehead to forehead now, and his sweet movements made her dizzy. She breathed in his scent which was intoxicatingly masculine. His long hair fell across her cheeks, and she wished the moment would never end. 

Kylo placed a hand behind Rey's back and pulled her body to him. His kiss was gentle as he explored her lips, his tongue flitting across them, requesting entry. Rey opened and let out a startled moan when their tongues touched for the first time. Their kisses became urgent, their tongues swirling together as they tasted each other. 

Kylo pulled back, breathless. Rey leaned forward, burying her face into the space between his head and shoulder. He closed his eyes as they held each other, gently rocking back and forth together. His hand rested tenderly on the back of her head, keeping her secure against him. 

Rey nipped at his neck suddenly, making him growl and laugh at the same time. She reveled in the deep, seductive sound. He pushed her back gently so he could see her face. Their Force bond was wide open, allowing them to soak in each other's affections. Rey met Kylo's eyes which were full of delicious mischief. He pulled her to him so his lips were at her ear.

"You haven't said anything about last night," he whispered. Rey had been excitedly waiting for him to bring up their encounter

"Did something happen last night?" Rey feigned ignorance. 

He suppressed a laugh and moved his lips back to hers and kissed her hard. He caught her lower lip with his teeth and pulled as she leaned away, keeping her in place for a second. She took the hint.

"Oh, I remember now!" Rey acted as if it just hit her, and Kylo rolled his eyes. "I had a visitor."

"And you welcomed him," Kylo purred. 

He slid a hand down to her thigh and let it rest just above her knee. Rey resisted the urge to slide forward. She placed a hand on his chest and moved her palm slowly downward, causing Kylo's breathing to quicken. She loved this game and wanted to play for as long as they could take it.

"I never invited him, though." Rey felt his hand start to slide up her leg suggestively.

"But you didn't ask him to leave."

Kylo moved quickly and pinned her in place, making her gasp. She couldn't move as he placed light kisses on her neck. She tried to squirm, but his grip tightened.

"Well, he seemed to have something important to show me." Rey's voice was breathy.

"And you let him?"

"Yes."

Kylo gently bit her ear lobe in response, and her breath caught in her throat. He loosened his grip and she snaked her hands up around his neck. She plunged them into his thick head of hair and grasped tightly.

"You had called to him before," Kylo's voice was the lowest she had ever heard it. "Something about...wanting him to touch you. Or was it...you wanting to touch yourself while thinking of him?" Rey was trembling against him, so he went in for the kill. "And something about how his mouth would feel between your legs. That request was received several times."

Her face turned beet red as he spoke her secrets out loud. She was so wet that she thought it would soak through her leggings. He moved so his forehead was touching hers.

"Sounds more like he was spying," she tried to banter back, but her mind was forgetting how to form sentences.

"No, I'm quite certain these were requests." Kylo now gripped her hips tightly. "And did your visitor please you?"

Rey felt goose bumps spread across her arms. "Maybe. I think I need to see more before I make a judgement call."

The Kylo's voice was thick with lust. "He's dying to show you more if you'd give him permission."

Rey smirked. "Didn't he get the message? He already has it."

It happened fast. Kylo slid his arms under the back of her thighs and picked her up with a jump, causing a small squeal to escape her mouth that made him crazy. He dropped her on his bed and pressed his body into her. He slid a knee between her thighs and forced them open. A moan escaped her as she felt his large, erect member rub against her through their clothing. She gripped his hair tightly with one hand and let the other slip between them to explore the dark trail of hair on his stomach, tracing the path until his pants blocked the rest. He shuddered under her fingers.

Kylo suddenly pinned both of her arms above her head with one hand. His genuine smile made Rey go limp. His eyes were shining, the light within him breaking through, piercing straight through Rey as it lit up the room. His lips crashed against hers as the Force swirled and buzzed around them. She wanted his darkness, he wanted her light, and neither was ashamed anymore.


	11. Crash and Burn

Kylo and Rey jerked their heads towards the door as they both felt it at the same time. Someone who didn't belong was on the dreadnaught. An alarm started blaring.

Kylo snarled in frustration as he grabbed his shirt and quickly pulled it over his head as Rey ran to the door. She started to wave it open.

"No, Rey," Kylo came up behind her and grabbed her arm. "Wait here."

"What?" Rey looked at him like he had three heads. Had he not just seen her in training a few hours before?

"I don't care," he stated, hearing her thought. "Stay here so I know you're safe."

Rey couldn't help but melt at the look in his eyes. That same look from earlier, his light pouring into her.

"Alright, alright," she resigned as he called his lightsaber over to him from some secret compartment behind them and snuck out. He was so silent for a man so large; Rey didn't know how he did it.

She sat back on the bed with her legs crossed and focused. She needed to track Kylo's Force signature, so she closed her eyes and reached out with her mind. She took a deep breath, and as she started to exhale, her eyes widened as she realized who was attacking them.

It was the resistance.

Rey leapt off the bed and started to wave the doors open when she remembered her promise to Kylo.

'Why would they even be here in the first place?' Rey thought as she stepped back, panicking. 'They know I have to be here until my training is over or the truce is broken. What are they thinking?'

Her light saber was in her bedroom, just down the hall. If Kylo found any of her friends before her, she would need it...

'Sorry, Kylo,' Rey thought as she flew through the suite doors down the hall to her quarters and slid to a stop. She sat down on the bed to pull on a pair of boots then called her lightsaber to her, igniting it. The weapon burned, light blue and electric, crackling and hissing to life.

As she opened her suite doors, there was a huge crash as a vent fell from the ceiling, pieces of ceiling falling and clanging against her little table, shattering it. She jumped back and quickly deactivated her saber when she recognized the mess of men before her.

"Poe! Finn!" She yelled as she ran over to them. There was of chorus of groans as the two rolled around and stood up, dusting themselves off and looking around as if in a daze.

"Rey?" Finn was the first to see her. He ran at her and grabbed her up into a hug and spun her around. "We were right, this is your place!"

"Finn! Finn, I've missed you so much!" Rey cried as she hugged him back ferociously. 

Poe jumped forward and literally ripped Rey out of Finn's arms and into his own. Finn pouted but still smiled. Poe and Rey stood together in a firm hug. She buried her face in his chest as he rocked her back and forth to the rhythm of her uncontrollable sobs that had taken over.

"I know, Rey, I know. We're here now," Poe said softly, stroking the back of her head in a comforting manner.

"Poe, I can't tell you how much I've missed..."

As Rey leaned her head up to speak, Poe pulled her in hard and kissed her. It happened so suddenly that Rey couldn't stop it, and the way Poe kissed her made her head spin. Finn rolled his eyes.

"Okay guys, you can get a room later. Let's GO," Finn pulled his blaster out and started towards the door.

"Hold on, Finn!" Poe snapped. "You can wait one minute."

Poe stepped back to stare at Rey. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Poe said, a huge grin on his face. Rey's heart exploded as she stared into his eyes. They were filled with pain and longing. He pulled her back to his lips as she tried to speak.

"Poe, wait..."

He kissed her again. This one was longer, his tongue meeting hers as he poured his love into her. She felt it radiating off of him, surrounding them both like a halo. Her mind was screaming for her to stop, but she couldn't bring herself to hurt him, not right now. She would break it to Poe later and explain the whole thing to Kylo.

The hair on her arms stood up as she realized "later" was now.

She felt his frenzied darkness running towards her open door. Kylo slowed to a stop when he spotted Rey and Poe. His rage was a shimmering red waterfall through the Force bond as he processed what he was seeing. 

Rey was kissing another man.


	12. Old Flame Meets New Flame

Kylo stood in Rey's doorway, hair wild, eyes blazing from the light of his red, cross guard lightsaber. He advanced on Poe while simultaneously Force launching Finn across the room before Finn could comprehend what was happening.

Poe let go of Rey. He shoved her behind him and grabbed his blaster, but Kylo Force called it over to him before Poe could use it. He called Finn's blaster next as he felt him stirring behind him. Then his eyes were on Rey.

The fury she saw in those dark eyes rattled her soul. They were glistening as he held back tears, the lightsaber making them glow red as if he were crying blood. The pain she felt from his side of the bond knocked the breath out of her.

She realized what he was about to do and ignited her saber, jumping between him and Poe.

"NO, Kylo!" She screamed. Kylo yelled a sound that was more animal than human. He was already surging forward, striking his lightsaber against hers, trying to drive her back so he could get to Poe.

Rey Force threw him out the door and into the hallway. He landed on his feet, sliding backwards only a little. He immediately came at her again, but Rey was on the offensive this time. She swung her saber and met his as she rained down blow after blow, Kylo barely managing to block her in time. He was slowly backing away as she charged forward, giving Poe and Finn enough room to run.

"GO!" She screamed. Poe hesitated but Finn grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the suite.

"POE, now!" Finn yelled at Poe. The two ran full speed down the hallway around the dueling light sabers and out of sight. 

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT, REY?!" 

Kylo cried out as he countered her swing. He was furious, out of control. He saw a weak spot in Rey's attack and swept her legs out from under her. She fell hard onto the floor. He tried to call her lightsaber to him, but she held on with her mind. He looked up and met her eyes, pausing for the briefest moment as his emotions took over. This was her chance.

She jumped into a spin, knocked his saber out of his hand and pulled it to her, locking it onto her belt. She deactivated her own saber as he stared at her, dumbfounded.

"You have to STOP!" She yelled as she marched to stand in front of him.

Kylo stood glaring as if he was trying to see her bones through her skin. His chest heaved. Rey noticed his hands were shaking and reached out. Kylo jerked away.

"Kylo," Rey began slowly, hooking her saber to her belt and putting both of her hands up in the air to show him she meant him no harm. "What you saw isn't what you think. I didn't..."

"The FUCK it wasn't!" He interrupted, yelling so loudly that her ears rang. She winced. "YOU are MY APPRENTICE. You belong to the First Order..."

"Kylo." Rey tried again, stopping his sentence. He didn't listen.

"YOU BELONG TO ME! YOU ARE MINE!"

Both of their lightsabers ripped from her belt and flew into his hands. He ignited his cross saber and swung it towards her neck, stopping just inches away. Rey flashed back to the first time they met.

"KYLO!" she implored. "You had NO RIGHT to try and kill them. If you'd let me exp..." He didn't let her continue.

"You actually think you can tell your Supreme Leader what his rights are? I caught you fraternizing with the enemy! That's TREASON and you deserve DEATH!"

Rey wasn't going to beg for her life, or for anything. She squared her shoulders in defiance of his blade.

"You're not going to kill me." Rey's voice was unnaturally stable. Kylo started to shake from the ferocity of his rage.

"Scavenger, do NOT test me. That's my last warning."

Rey still didn't move. "You made a promise to me, to trust me. I've trusted you. Will you kill me in return?"

She hadn't been thinking. How could she bring up their promise when it was never a promise to begin with? It was all based on deceit. 

"THAT PROMISE IS BROKEN!" Kylo bared his teeth like a rabid animal. Spit flew from his mouth as he spoke. "I'll kill the pilot first so you can watch."

Rey started to wonder if he really was going to kill her. His eyes were shining red. The blade moved closer to her neck.

"You can have that son of a bitch after I've sliced him into pieces. Try to fuck him then."

Rey felt tears sting her eyes. "I wasn't trying to fuck him, Kylo."

"Don't lie to me. You just kissed me the same way, and you wanted to fuck me."

He spit the words at her like venom. "I should have killed you a long time ago. I'm Supreme Leader of the First Order, and I let the lies of a scavenger bitch get the better of me."

"That SCAVENGER BITCH trusted you and still trusts you! NOW you have to trust ME!" The guilt was tearing her apart. She had no right to lecture him, but it came out anyway.

"Sticking your tongue down that insolent fool's throat doesn't scream 'trust' to me." The heat from his lightsaber started to burn through her skin, but she refused to react to the pain.

"A REAL act of trust is giving me time to tell you what happened, which you haven't done. But that's just how you are, right SUPREME LEADER? Nobody matters but you."

She watched his lips quiver as his heart fought his brain. She pleaded with no one in particular to have the chance to tell him everything.

For a second, the two just stared at each other, chests heaving with emotions. Finally overcome with pain, Kylo retracted his blade and slumped to his knees, forehead gathered in his hands on the floor.

Rey was stunned at the vulnerable action she was witnessing. She knelt down next to him.

"Kylo," she spoke softly, "Poe kissed ME. I didn't have the heart to stop him, and I know that was wrong. I'm sorry."

There was silence. Rey continued.

"I had no knowledge of this attack. I don't know why they're here."

Kylo raised his head up to meet her eyes, causing her breath to catch in her throat. She felt the word growing in his mind...betrayal. His anger started building again, much to Rey's horror. She watched as Kylo narrowed his eyes at her and braced herself.

"Fuck it."

He reached out with the Force and pierced the barrier of her mind, making her cry out in pain. He saw her face twist in agony, but he didn't stop. He was too devoted to his belief that she had turned on him like everyone else.

His hand hovered over her face for a moment. Just as Rey was about to lose consciousness, he ripped out of her head violently, causing Rey to scream as if the flesh had been ripped from her scalp.

She fell to the floor, trying to stop herself from sobbing. Kylo sat back on his calves, looking at nothing in particular as he processed what he found.

Rey gathered herself up on her knees. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and tried to steady her breathing. 

"You had feelings for the pilot when you were with the resistance," Kylo stated as if to himself, ignoring Rey's pain as it poured into him though their bond. 

She nodded in agreement, unable to speak.

He continued. "But...you don't anymore." Rey nodded again.

Kylo finally met her eyes. For the first time ever, she saw a look of pure fear reflected back to her. She tried to make her hoarse voice work but was interrupted.

"And you came here to kill me."

The words hung in the air like a thick fog. Rey was paralyzed. This isn't how she wanted to tell him.

Kylo's voice was low and threatening. "You planned to infiltrate the First Order and take us down from the inside."

There was nothing she could do to repair their relationship now. Might as well confess everything before she died. "Yes. I lied to you." 

They stood in silence while the admission ripped them both apart.

Rey knew she deserved his wrath. She should have fought Poe harder instead of thinking about herself. She should have told Kylo the truth long ago when she realized her murderous intentions were long gone. She just hadn't wanted to go through all that pain. She wasn't ready to face her new reality. She had too much pride, was too selfish. But here she was, watching her life crumble in front of her. She had hurt the only person in the universe she truly...

"Loves." 

Kylo's voice was like smooth liquor as he completed her thought. 

Rey looked at him in shock. She tried to respond, but a wave of pain rushed through her head and stopped her. She winced and put her hands on her temples, trying to massage the pain away. Kylo raised a hand to her face, cupping her cheek. She instinctively leaned into his touch. Her pain started to dissipate as Kylo held her face. 

'Is he...healing me?' She thought, assuming she was crazy.

But she wasn't crazy. Kylo Ren really was healing her.

He looked deeply into Rey's eyes as he transferred some of his life force to her. 

A new vision appeared in her mind. She saw Kylo Ren as he was, a Jedi killer, a murderer, a user of the Dark Side. But she also saw light radiating from the old Ben Solo. This light swirled together with his darkness and created something new. The bright aura illuminated his passion, his ability to love fiercely, his willingness to do anything to protect the ones he cares about. 

It was then Rey realized that she loved him wholly. Every part of him, even the dark parts. There was nothing about him that she did not cherish. 

Kylo cocked his head to the side as he heard her thoughts. He felt his heart stop.

Something inside of him broke as her love washed over him. It was sudden and violent, a tidal wave of truth as it tore through his soul, ripping away any anger he had left for his scavenger, his apprentice.

His redemption.

The guilt overwhelmed him, and he knew what he had to do.

"I lied to you too," Kylo blurted out, as if the words were burning his mouth and he desperately wanted them out. 

"Huh?"

He dropped his hand from her cheek. He was going to lose her, he knew it. This was the last time he would see her precious face, her soft brown hair, her hazel eyes that held his entire being within their gaze. He had tried to change who she was, change her into someone who fit his deluded fantasy. There was no coming back from that. Rey deserved the truth. Hell, she deserved the universe after what he had put her through.

"I wanted to snuff out your light, make you a killer like me." He felt the weight of the lie lift off his shoulders only to be replaced with nausea. "Wanted to manipulate you into destroying the rest of the resistance." 

Rey stared at him silently. He took a shaky breath as he continued. 

"I wanted you for myself, so I thought if I convinced you to kill all of your friends, then you would be forced to stay with me."

Rey was still silent. Kylo summoned all the courage he had as he spoke. "And now...I have also hurt the only person in the universe I..."

"Love." Rey completed his sentence. 

He held his breath, waiting for the inevitable, but it never came. She didn't ignite her saber and run him through. There was no hatred, no rage in her eyes. He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with the action. 

Rey finally spoke, her voice hoarse with crying.

"So...I guess we're even." She half smiled through her tears. Kylo's eyes filled with disbelief.

He huffed at her joke. He couldn't hide his adoration, his awe, all of the emotions that flooded him when he looked at her. He gripped her forearm as if she would disappear any second and placed his other hand on her cheek.

"You really love me?" Kylo whispered. Rey didn't hesitate with her response and whispered back.

"Yes."

He grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her. She felt him pour his feelings into their bond, and she was overwhelmed. She was everything he had ever needed or wanted. Her name was a prayer in his mind as he repeated it to her. Rey. His Rey, his love, his eternity.

When he pulled away, Rey watched as his tears flowed freely now, dripping off his cheeks and his scruffy chin. Kylo wiped his face with his shirt as he stood and handed her lightsaber back to her.

"I'm still mad you," he said sternly, nudging her arm with the lightsaber before she could take it.

"I'm still mad at you," she retorted, grabbing the saber out of his hand greedily. 

"Then everything's normal again," Kylo snickered. There was that smile that Rey couldn't handle. She laughed.

"Come on." She gestured in the direction in which Poe and Finn had fled. She gave Kylo a pleading look. "Try not to kill them." 

"We'll see," he replied, winking at her.

A large boom shook the ground as they started running towards the sound of blasters and Storm Troopers screaming. She shook her head as she ran.

"I can't believe those two," she muttered out loud. Then another thought hit her.

"They aren't going to believe me, either."


	13. The Real Enemy

Finn and Poe stood surrounded by a circle of stormtroopers with their hands in the air, outnumbered. The troopers had their weapons drawn and ready to fire. There were several TIE fighters on fire along the wall of the main hangar. Bodies of stormtroopers littered the area. General Hux was walking along the circle of troopers antagonizing the two men, clearly getting off on the feeling of power.

"HUX!" Kylo's powerful voice reverberated through the hangar. Hux jumped at the sound. He spun on his heel to begrudgingly salute the Supreme Leader and his apprentice. Rey noticed he was moodier than usual.

"Supreme Leader, I have captured two resistance soldiers. One of them is the traitor, FN-2187"

"It's Finn, you ginger bastard!" Finn threw his taunt at the general, who whipped his head around to glare at him. 

"I will make sure your death is slow and painful, you disgusting resistance scum..."

Hux suddenly flew through the air and landed dangerously close to a flaming Tie fighter. He gasped for breath as he crab crawled away from the heat, clawing at his neck as Kylo Force choked him.

"Lower your weapons!" Kylo commanded. A loud sound of armor clattering rattled the room as the troopers obeyed.

Hux was turning a deep shade of purple. Kylo freed him, and Hux's head smacked against the hard floor as he coughed and gasped. Kylo and Rey made their way through the circle of stormtroopers until they were face to face with Finn and Poe. Kylo looked over his shoulder in annoyance.

"Extinguish the fires, you imbeciles!" The troopers scattered quickly towards the charred mess that used to be an impressive collection of Tie fighters, shouting orders to each other. Finn and Poe snickered.

"State your business, rebels," Kylo's voice was devoid of emotion. Rey, on the other hand, was shaking.

Poe spoke first, glancing at Rey quickly with a smirk. "We came for Rey. I thought that was pretty obvious since you found us, you know, with Rey."

"Yeah, it was definitely obvious," Finn added, grinning. He turned to Poe. "The Supreme Leader doesn't seem very 'supreme' today."

"Well, he doesn't have his helmet." Poe finished while Finn laughed and elbowed him.

Rey's eyes widened at their taunting. She tilted her head upwards to look at Kylo. The only indication that he acknowledged their taunts was a slight twitch in his left eye. Rey started to panic.

"What are you DOING?!" Rey whispered as if Kylo couldn't hear her. Poe and Finn straightened and resumed military stances. 

"Sorry, Rey." "Yeah, our bad." Poe and Finn muttered together.

Much to Rey's surprise, Kylo had the tiniest smirk on his face as he spoke.

"The First Order currently has a truce with the resistance. Your mission to kidnap Rey is breaking that truce."

Poe puffed his chest out and held his head high as he responded. "First off, YOU did the kidnapping. Second, we have received information that the First Order isn't keeping their end of the agreement."

Finn chimed in. "A small rebel base that was hidden in the Outer Rim was attacked two days ago. They killed everyone, including those who lived in the towns around the area."

Rey gasped. "What?"

Kylo furrowed his brows in confusion. "I never ordered an attack. Your information is incorrect."

"Oh, is it?" Poe pulled out a hologram and clicked play. Sure enough, it was the First Order. Storm troopers were slaughtering everyone in the vicinity, their blood running down the snow covered ground in rivers. Rey choked on a sob when she saw children lying on the ground.

"Kylo, what is the meaning of this?" Rey whirled around to face him, blocking Finn and Poe. Her hand was on her lightsaber.

"Like I said, I have no knowledge of..." Kylo stopped mid-sentence and looked towards Hux. He had disappeared. Rey shared Kylo's realization.

"HUX!" She screamed. She began to run in his direction, but Kylo Force froze her in place.

Finn ran forward and attacked Kylo. 

"Let her go, you demon!" 

Kylo used the Force to make himself a human wall. Finn had a surprised look in his eyes as he slammed into Kylo and fell backwards. Poe aimed his blaster at Kylo and fired, but Kylo stopped the blast in midair. It made a buzzing noise then ripped through the hangar with a flick of Kylo's hand. 

"Enough!" Kylo commanded. He let go of Rey, and the three friends gathered in front of Kylo, all of them seething with anger. Kylo chewed the inside of his mouth while he thought through the situation.

"So Hux has betrayed me," Kylo muttered, mostly to himself. 

Rey stepped forward. "We have to find him now! We need to move!"

Kylo sighed heavily. "I know that, Rey, but it's not as simple as you think."

Poe and Finn looked at each other suspiciously as they watched the pair talk as if they were...friends.

Kylo looked past Rey at Finn and Poe and cocked his eyebrow knowingly. "I'm assuming you're not alone since you blew up so many of my ships."

As if on queue, a Wookie announced it's presence with a guttural trill. Following closely behind was a dark haired girl that stopped in her tracks at the scene.

"Chewie! Rose!" Rey brushed against Kylo's shoulder as she ran behind him to embrace her friends. Chewie bellowed a greeting to Rey. Rose looked at Kylo then at Rey, then back at Kylo.

"Why isn't he trying to kill us?" She asked. 

"It's a long story," Rey laughed. Everyone but Kylo looked at her as if she was crazy. She met Kylo's eyes and noticed his subtle amusement.

"Tell them later. Come on, Rey. We need to lay low while we figure this out." Kylo held out his hand. Rey paused and looked at her little family who looked as if they had seen a ghost.

Poe snapped. "Nah, no way, Shadow Man. She comes with us. YOU are a prisoner of the resistance now."

Kylo looked down at Rey, his lips curling into a devious smile. Rey sighed as she took Kylo's hand. Her friends all yelled in confusion. Poe's face fell. It tore at Rey, but there was no time to explain. Instead, she tried to reassure them.

"We will find you. Go, relocate the General before Hux attacks again."

Rey and Kylo didn't wait for the group's response. They ran towards Kylo's private hangar hand in hand, leaving the resistance members to wonder what hell was going on.


	14. GR-8 Plans

Rey and Kylo finally arrived on a snowy planet so remote that it didn't have an official name. They gathered everything they had packed, which wasn't much, and started the trek to a cottage Kylo used to sneak off to during his early years with the First Order. 

There was an actual fireplace that burned real wood, and the walls were made of giant wooden panels. The furniture was off white, plump and ready for sitting. The kitchen was small but adequate. There was a bathroom big enough to fit the kitchen inside of it, and it contained a beautiful ivory tub surrounded by body oils and bath salts. Everything was pristine and ready for use.

"How do you keep it so clean when you're not here?" Rey asked, setting her bag down on the floor of the living room.

"I have a cleaning droid on a weekly schedule," Kylo replied and gestured toward a closet door. Rey opened it and saw the funniest looking droid. 

The head was shaped like a trapezoid, and it sat on a thin pipe neck that attached to a fat, cylindrical body with wheels. It was almost taller than Rey. Sporting a bright shade of red, it had all kinds of gadgets stored in its body's compartments. The "eyes" were yellow, and it was missing a mouth. It beeped happily as it came to life at the sight of Rey and held up a retractable broom as if to say "I clean!" Rey laughed at the spectacle rolling around in front of her. 

"His name is GR-8. I thought it was a funny name when I programmed him...," Kylo confessed, turning red with embarrassment.

Rey stared at Kylo with the widest grin. "I love it. Pleased to meet you, GR-8!" 

GR-8 let out a staccato string of beeps letting Rey know it was excited to meet her too. The peppy droid rolled over to their luggage and carried it to the bedroom to unpack for them.

"I could get used to that," Rey joked as she wearily sat down on one of the plush couches. Kylo sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he laid his head back on the back of the couch. They were both quiet for a few minutes as they tried to accept their new reality.

"Kylo?" Rey said softly.

"Mmhmm?" He hummed a response while keeping his head back and his eyes shut.

"What are we going to do?"

Kylo groaned loudly and rolled his head back down dramatically to face Rey. She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. 

"Tomorrow," he stated. "Tomorrow we will figure it out. We need to rest tonight, and I have made plans for us this evening."

Rey let out a long, tired, frustrated breath. "What kind of plans?"

She saw Kylo's eyes begin to sparkle and burn, hungrily. Rey's stomach muscles clenched in excitement as he leaned in close to her face. His voice was soft like black velvet.

"The physical kind."


	15. The Bond Finally Wins

Kylo took Rey by the hand and led her to the bathroom. He turned on the water in the large tub and added some bath salts, causing the water to bubble and foam. He then lit more candles and pulled out a few towels for the both of them. Rey was amazed as she watched him work with purpose, preparing a space for them so thoughtfully.

He finished and turned to face her, cupping her cheek in his hand tenderly. He changed his persona to that of the Supreme Leader.

"We have unfinished business, apprentice," Kylo stated firmly. His eyes had darkened into an irresistible combination of adoration and lust. Rey smiled shyly as she returned his look.

"What kind of business, Master?" Rey asked, cheekily. Kylo cocked an eyebrow at her.

"The kind of the upmost urgency." He winked, dropping the persona, and pulled her into an embrace, kissing the top of her head. She pulled him against her and buried her face in his chest. There, again, was that amazing masculine scent that made her knees weak.

"Rey," Kylo spoke softly. She felt his voice vibrate underneath her. She raised her head to look at him. "No matter what happens in the next few days, I want you to know something."

Kylo got down on one knee and took Rey's hands in his. She waited, holding her breath. He kissed her knuckles.

"My loyalty lies with you now. Not the First Order. No one else but you."

Rey's jaw hung open. He was so serious, so genuine. She never thought she would hear anything like that come out of Kylo Ren's mouth. But here he was before her, on his knees of all things.

"Kylo..." Rey started to respond but was interrupted by Kylo attacking her with a kiss that was so passionate, her head spun.

They kissed as if it was their last night to live. Rey opened her mouth and let her tongue touch his, gently at first. He teased her with light touches until he couldn't take it anymore and thrusted his tongue further, making sure to slide and swirl against hers, giving her a literal taste of what was coming. She massaged him with her tongue, fighting for dominance over him. His mouth was hot like fire on hers, making her moan into him.

Kylo wrapped his powerful arms around her as he stood, and Rey eagerly followed his lead. She wrapped her hands around his neck and fisted her hands into his hair aggressively. This only made him kiss her harder, if that was even possible.

After a minute or so, they finally broke their kiss to catch a breath. They stared into each other's eyes and breathed heavily. Kylo moved his hands to the bottom of her shirt and started to lift. Rey held her arms up so he could slide it up and off, tossing it on the ground. He noticed her bands wrapped around her chest and smiled, remembering their first day of training on the dreadnaught.

Rey followed his lead and eagerly grabbed Kylo's shirt and pulled it over his head. They removed the rest of each other's clothing, from Rey's bands to Kylo's fitted boxers. The two stood facing each other, just the sounds of their breathing echoing around the bathroom walls.

Rey had never seen a nude man. He didn't seem real, more like something from a dream. His muscles rippled with every movement, his broad shoulders were a masterpiece. She saw his scars now and noticed there were many more than she had originally seen. His stomach was trim, and his hips were strong as she followed his muscles down to the dark trail of hair that always called to her. Her eyes followed it until it reached the end of the path. Immediately, she turned beet red. Embarrassed, she whipped her head to the side. His member was thick and erect, and she wondered if it was normal for a man to be that long. Surely she couldn't fit something that size inside of her. She mentally assessed her own anatomy with growing concern. 

Kylo walked forward and placed his index finger under her chin, making her turn and face him. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut now, and he sported a lopsided grin due to Rey's amusing and complimentary anatomical thoughts .

"Rey, look at me."

She opened her eyes slowly and watched his eyes roam up and down her body, taking her in like she was a drug. She tried to shrink away from him, but he held her chin and gently pulled her forward.

"You are the most beautiful creature I've ever seen," he reassured her with his smooth, baritone voice. "I want you to look at me too, every part of me. We belong to each other...you're completely free with me."

Rey was blown away at his words. She took in a deep breath and blew it out of her nose, feeling her muscles relax as he took her hand and helped her into the tub. He climbed in behind her and pulled her so she sat between his legs, then wrapped his arms around the front of her stomach. Her arms rested on top of his, and she gripped his wrists tightly. She let her head rest on his chest, and Kylo placed his chin in her hair, closing his eyes. Rey giggled at the feeling of Kylo's manhood against her back. Without opening his eyes, he pinched her sides playfully and she yelped, only intensifying his arousal. Rey stifled a laugh, reveling in the feeling of his body against hers.

They enjoyed the comfort for as long as the water stayed warm. Kylo stepped out first and held his hand out to Rey. They dried themselves off and wrapped their towels around themselves. They stood for a moment, knowing what was about to happen.

Kylo took her hand again and led her to the bedroom. GR-8 had turned down the bed and added extra blankets to fight the cold, dry air of the frigid planet. There was no light, save for some candles burning on the bedside tables. 

Once Rey was close enough, Kylo grabbed her towel and yanked it off of her with one powerful swipe. He picked her up and threw her on the bed, and she squealed at the quick movement. This urged him on, and he ripped his own towel off and climbed on top of her. His arms propped his upper body above Rey's head, placed next to her shoulders towards the head of the bed. He stayed on his knees with her underneath so he wouldn't crush her tiny frame with his massive chest.

Rey tried to cross her legs and cover her chest, feeling exposed, but Kylo held her limbs with the Force. Rey's eyes were wide with anticipation. Kylo swung her arms over her head and pinned them with the Force so she couldn't move. Rey felt the wetness between her legs increase; she never knew that being bound on purpose could be so...alluring.

With a sexy smirk, Kylo started at her lips, gently grazing his kisses from her mouth down to her jaw. Then he was behind her ear, hitting a sweet spot that Rey never knew she had. He placed more aggressive kisses down her neck and onto her shoulder, sucking and biting her skin along the way. She felt one particularly aggressive bite at her neck. She knew it would leave a mark, but the thought of being marked by Kylo Ren made her womanhood clench, begging for stimulation.

Kylo switched to light kisses again as he continued his journey over her collar bone to the middle of her chest. Rey gasped when she felt his lips land between her breasts. He looked up at her with bright chocolate eyes, and she caught his evil grin as wiggled his eyebrows quickly two times, indicating that he knew exactly what he was doing. He took one of her breasts in his hand and the other with his mouth. Rey bucked her hips upward at the feeling, grazing her bare sex along Kylo's stomach, causing him to moan into her chest. His fingers caressed one breast while his tongue swirled around the other. He moved back and forth, ensuring that each twin received equal attention. 

Suddenly, Kylo stopped. Rey jerked her head up in annoyance and started to protest, but she was silenced as he started lightly kissing a trail from the middle of her breasts to her stomach, finally landing at the top of her sex. Rey's eyes rolled back in her head as she let out an uncontrollable, breathy yell.

Kylo was between her thighs now, kneeling on the ground. Rey's legs draped across each strong shoulder. She squirmed at the sight of his mouth so close to such a private place. Her opening was dripping with desire, her abdomen clenching at the sight of her body completely at Kylo's mercy. He paused to gaze at her bare sex, causing Rey to squirm in embarrassment. Kylo noticed, and he growled as he launched his body back up so he was face to face with her, her legs being held up in the air now by his shoulders. Rey screamed with delight.

"What did I tell you, Rey?" His voice was deep as he threatened her, his face hanging above hers, his raven hair tickling her cheeks. He lowered his face so their noses touched.

Rey felt the wetness seeping out of her. She bit her bottom lip in embarrassment. Kylo never broke eye contact as he feigned frustration.

"Rey...?" He drew her name out and sounded even more threatening. He leaned down and kissed her to free her bottom lip and sucked it into his mouth, biting it possessively. Rey's body convulsed and brushed against his stomach again. He stifled a groan of pleasure.

"You told me not to be embarrassed?" She asked, barely whispering, her desire flowing over her like ocean waves.

"Yes, that's what I said." He still sounded dangerous. "You don't have to be embarrassed. Not with me." Rey nodded her head up and down to agree. 

"No! Unacceptable." Kylo spoke again, causing Rey to jump at the harshness of his voice. He was still holding his body in a planking position. 'His arms have to be burning by now,' she thought as she admired his biceps.

"My arms are fine," he narrowed his eyes, answering her thought. "Pay attention. You lack respect, apprentice. Answer me correctly this time."

"What if I don't?" Rey retorted, trying to sound as dangerous as him. He was growing more menacing by the second. The only giveaway was the love radiating from his sparkling eyes.

"I'll be forced to discipline you for your insubordination," he rumbled. Their noses were still barely touching. "Now answer me correctly this time."

Rey was almost lightheaded from him talking so close to her lips. 

"I don't have to be embarrassed around you, Master!" She declared, her smile breaking through.

Kylo was too turned on to pursue it further. That was enough for one night, but he couldn't help dropping one last threat. 

"Good. Don't do it again." 

He kissed her lightly on the nose and pulled her and himself back to their previous position, placing his face directly in front of her sex. He glanced up and met her eyes as he began to move closer. She felt his nose touch and jumped with surprise. He groaned a deep growl as he started kissing her folds, sending vibrations all the way up to her chest.

"You're so wet for me," he muttered. Rey cried out, this new feeling overwhelming her. She felt his tongue trace her folds up and down, up and down, until he finally landed on her clit. He swirled his tongue around the swollen bud and sucked gently, causing Rey to squeal loudly. He alternated between flicking her clit with the tip of his tongue to lapping her entire area as if she was water, and he was dying of thirst.

Maintaining eye contact, Kylo then moved his tongue down to her entrance and pushed in. He massaged her walls from all the angles, and his agonizingly slow movements only drew out her pleasure. He snaked back out and started licking her clit slowly then speeding up. She felt his finger slip into her opening, making her whole body spasm with surprise. 

"You taste amazing, like you were made for my mouth," he muttered against her. Her walls squeezed his finger as he moved it around, stroking her inside gently while still tonguing her clit steadily. The vibrations of his voice made her so hot that she marveled that someone's vocal chords were even capable of such a thing. Hearing her thought, Kylo hummed happily, mercilessly drawing out the sensation.

"Kylo...I'm..." Rey breathed, but she was interrupted when Kylo intensified his movements. A second finger slid into her and moved in sync with the first. She caught his dark eyes again. He had the look of an animal devouring its prey, and it sent her over the edge.

That familiar bomb detonated, starting from the apex of her thighs and rapidly spreading across her body. She felt her stomach muscles clench and throw her upper body forward while she screamed with pleasure. Kylo continued his movements until her orgasm was completely finished. Then he sat up, wiping his face on the back of his arm, then shoved her to the head of the bed.

Rey laid on the bed breathing heavily, her muscles twitching as she came down from the high. Kylo sat on his heels watching her, his member ready. At one point he thought he would cum just from the sound of her, but he resisted.

He released Rey's limbs from the Force hold, and she quickly sat up. She grabbed his neck with her hands, causing an "mmph" sound of surprise in Kylo's throat as she pulled him down on top of her. She grabbed his hair and pulled as she kissed him, tasting herself on his tongue. This fueled her passion for him; her fire was ready to be stoked.

Kylo broke their kiss and laid his forehead on hers. His expression was serious now, and Rey paused.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked nervously.

Rey closed her eyes while their foreheads touched. She loved how caring he was. "I'm more than sure."

"But it's ME, Rey. Are you sure about me?" 

She opened her eyes. There was an insecurity in his eyes that cut Rey to the core. She placed both hands on the sides of his face firmly and locked eyes with him.

"If it wasn't you, then it would be no one."

Kylo closed his eyes briefly as her words swept over him. He positioned himself in front of her entrance and lightly teased her with the tip of his member, making sure to stroke her clit. Rey moaned at the feeling of his warm, silky skin.

He pushed slowly, moving in increments so she could adjust to his size.

'It doesn't help that you're huge,' she thought.

Kylo chuckled quietly and spoke out loud. "I can't help that you fell for the biggest man in the galaxy." 

Rey scoffed at his arrogance, but she laughed when she leaned her head up to kiss him passionately, letting him know she secretly agreed with him. 

The stinging pain melted into pure pleasure as she grew wetter with every thrust. Their eyes were locked as he started increasing his speed. Rey wrapped her legs around his back and crossed her ankles, pulling him into her deeper. He groaned lustfully as her hands ran aggressively through his hair and down his back. He slid one hand down between their writhing bodies to massage her clit while thrusting deeper, hitting that white-hot spot hidden in the depths of her womanhood. 

"Cum for me, Rey," he leaned down and whispered against her ear. 

The feeling hit her suddenly as she came again, her walls convulsing and squeezing his member tightly. He continued to thrust through her orgasm, sliding against her convulsing sex at just the right time and pressure, making her scream his name. 

Kylo reached his limit with his last thrust and pulled out of her, stroking himself as his essence landing on her chest and stomach as he came, hard. His body bent inward, showing off his chiseled abs, and he moaned loudly as his body trembled against her. His arms flexed and his hand gripped the mattress until he was completely empty. 

With a shaky hand, he reached for his towel and wiped her off. He was so tender as he cleaned her, it was almost reverent. She lovingly watched him work.

Finished, he laid on top of her for a moment. Both were panting heavily. Rey didn't care that he crushed her; she was certain that his body on top of hers was the best feeling in the universe.

Kylo finally rolled off of Rey and on to his back, making sure to lay as close to her as possible. He placed an arm behind his head and turned to look at Rey. She was staring at the ceiling as if she were in a trance. He took her hand in his free one and squeezed tightly, placing it on his chest over his heart. She shifted her gaze to his face and responded by squeezing his hand too.

"Well...did I take care of business, apprentice?" He spoke suggestively.

"Oh yeah, you did," she airily replied. Kylo lifted his head.

"What was that?" Mr. Threatening was back.

"Oh, I meant yes Master." Rey turned bright red as she used his title.

"Much better." Kylo laid back down and closed his eyes. Rey could feel his amusement through the bond, and she shook her head. 

They lay together in a peace they had never known. For the moment, it was only the two of them in the whole galaxy, the only things that mattered were each other.

Meanwhile, GR-8 had taken refuge in the kitchen, trying his hardest to distract himself from the scary noises in the bedroom.


	16. Decisions

Kylo and Rey had awoken early the next morning and walked to Kylo's ship. They had to make contact with the Millennium Falcon and the rebel base, but for whatever reason, no one was answering. This was the third trek from the cottage to the ship that day, each journey more difficult than the last due to thick snowfall and wind that stung like pins in their skin.

"I don't understand why no one is answering me," Rey stated while fidgeting with the comm unit. "It's not broken. I've checked it four times already."

Kylo was seated next to her in the copilot's chair. His face was stern, and his brows were furrowed in deep thought. He stared at the console, not really seeing it, and Rey leaned over to catch his attention. She didn't bother to hide the desperation in her voice.

"Kylo?"

"I have a bad feeling about this," he spoke quietly, avoiding eye contact with Rey. He sounded just like Han, causing the tiniest smile to flit across her face.

He continued. "I say we call it and leave now." 

Rey grabbed his arm. "We can't exactly go wherever we want right now. You could be killed."

Kylo placed his hand over Rey's and squeezed. 

"I'll go without you..." Rey didn't make it far before Kylo placed his fingers on her mouth to shush her.

"This isn't about me, alright? It's time to go."

He leaned down and kissed Rey harder than normal. The force of the kiss was so strong that it shoved her back in the chair. There was no point in arguing; he was too stubborn. 

"Keep trying to reach them," he ordered. "I'm going to get our things."

Rey watched him put on his cloak. He turned back to look at her once more, then disappeared down the ramp into the snow storm.

Rey slumped down in the chair, fighting tears.

"Where are you guys?" Rey spoke out loud, closing her eyes and searching the Force for any clues. "Leia, Poe, Finn, Chewie, Rose..."

"Where are you?"

**

Poe, Finn, Rose, and Chewie reported to General Leia Organa as soon as they arrived at the rebel base. 

"So, why couldn't we contact Rey? What is that about?" Poe was fuming.

General Organa's face was cold and expressionless, which wasn't like her at all. 

"Because it's an order, Commander," she stated firmly. The group looked around at each other in shock.

"But he still has Rey!" Finn was shaking his head and gesturing frantically. 

"I will only say it one more time. This is an order." And with that, the general walked out of the conference room, leaving the group speechless.

Poe kicked a chair in frustration. Chewie bellowed his confusion, and Finn patted him on the arm.

"I know, Chewie. I'm confused too." Finn said. He put a hand on Rose's shoulder and pulled her in to an embrace. 

Rose hadn't stopped crying from the moment they received the bizarre order to cease communications with Rey. The general had delivered the order as soon as they had escaped the dreadnaught. 

Finn kissed Rose's forehead as she turned her face into his chest.

"We'll figure this out, Rose. We have to." He attempted to comfort her.

Poe was making snarling noises as he paced back and forth. This was too nonsensical to him.

"I'm going to talk to the general. Something is wrong, I can feel it." Poe spoke with resolve as he marched out of the conference room. The rest of the group held each and wondered what had gotten into their beloved general.


	17. The Confidante

Rey and Kylo arrived to the rebel base without being spotted. They hid the ship behind a thick patch of forest, then snuck off to find Finn and Rose. 

Once Rey found the barracks of the facility, she was able to use the Force to locate them. She knocked softly on the door, hoping they would hear her. Kylo hung back so he wouldn't start a panic.

They waited, then Rey knocked again, this time louder. She winced at the sound.

Finally the door slid open and a very frazzled Finn answered. As soon as he saw Rey he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her in with questioning eyes. Rose also crawled out of bed and made her way to the pair, relief all over her face to see Rey alive. Rey could tell they hadn't slept much by the bags under their eyes.

"I need you to let one more person in," Rey said hesitantly. Finn knew exactly who she meant.

"No, no, Rey, no way. That monster is not coming into our room. It's not even an option..."

"Oh shut up, Finn," Rose interrupted. Finn took a step back with wide eyes. Rey smiled weakly and gestured Kylo in.

His massive frame immediately made the room seem too small. He still had his cloak hanging from his shoulders, but he was no longer wearing his mask, at least for the moment. Rey had asked him to be less threatening to her friends, and he had begrudgingly agreed. 

Rose took a step forward towards Kylo and Rey, causing Finn great distress. She held up a hand to shush him, and he obeyed.

She addressed Rey first. "I know about the bond." 

Rey's eyes widened. Kylo stood still, showing no emotion.

Rose continued, "I spoke with the general, and she told me what you had shared with her before you left for your mission."

Rey looked up at Kylo, but he was still stone-faced. Finn's dark skin glowed in the moonlight, highlighting how pale he had become. 

Rose paused briefly then grabbed Rey's hand. "I know you love him, and I know he loves you," she spoke, then looked at Kylo. "You saved us back there. I mean, I'm not saying you get a parade or anything."

Rey huffed a laugh, and Kylo's immobile features twisted into the smallest smirk.

"But, I saw it with my own eyes, the connection you have with each other," Rose was standing now, her voice shaking. "You're the reason we're going to win this war. Both of you."

Something in the tone of Rose's voice confused Rey. She glanced at Kylo and he glanced at her, reflecting her confusion.

"Rose, what's going on?" Rey started, but Rose answered before Rey finished the question.

"Hux is here on base."

Kylo turned his head at Rose's words. His look of surprise did nothing to comfort Rey, who was starting to tremble. Finn dropped his head onto his chest and closed his eyes.

"Hux is here?" Kylo spoke quietly but menacingly. 

"He's holding the general captive until she gives up your location," Rose was speaking quickly now. "She had a vision that she shared with me. It was a vision of you dying, Kylo."

Rey felt hot tears start to burn her eyes. Kylo was still in shock, his lips apart and his hands stiff at his sides. His voice was tight as he spoke. "Why did she share her vision with you?"

"Because she knew I was the only one who would believe her about you. She said I have the ability to see the truth. She didn't say I was Force sensitive like Finn, but I have some kind of gift...thing. I don't know."

"It took her a few hours to convince me, so I see why the general trusted her instead of the rest of us," Finn added. 

"Okay," Rey swallowed. "Tell us everything."

"There's a second star killer," Rose tried to keep her voice even, but her fear was evident. "He has it trained on Naboo, and his troopers have stormed several other planets, holding the people hostage. Hux has told each planet that if the general doesn't provide the location of Kylo, he's going to start with Naboo then make his way through the hostage planets, blowing up one at a time. So far, the general hasn't had a location to give them."

Kylo was making his hands into fists at his sides, the leather of his black gloves creaking with the movements. Rey was speechless. She nodded for Rose to continue.

"That's why we were ordered to cease all contact with you. The general didn't want anyone knowing where you guys were. And she didn't want you to know what was happening here because you'd come, but you came anyway."

Rey took Rose's other free hand and held onto it.

"My mother is risking the lives of billions of people to protect me and Rey?" Kylo asked with disbelief. "There has to be more to this."

"If there is, she didn't tell me," Rose sighed. "She must have known somehow you would be here."

Kylo shook his head incredulously.

"There's something else," Rose spoke as if she didn't believe the words she was saying. "Poe...he...Poe wants to give up Kylo to the First Order against the general's wishes."

Rey gasped. Kylo let out a long breath. 

Finn took a deep breath before speaking. "Poe sent a bounty hunter to find you guys behind the general's back. All I knew is that he made sure the guy wouldn't kill you, Rey. I was wanted to contact you, but I didn't want to give your location away. I couldn't decide which problem was worse."

"But...aren't I a traitor in his eyes?" Rey asked wearily.

Finn took another breath. "He thinks Kylo has you under some kind of mind control and thinks that if he kills Kylo, then you will come to your senses."

"And Rey will love him instead," Kylo interjected. 

Finn nodded. "Basically."

Kylo started pacing the room, his hands behind his back and shoulders tight with anxiety. Rey sat silently staring at the floor, thinking about her beautiful friend, Poe, being so bloodthirsty for Kylo that he would betray her and the general. 

"This is all my fault," Rey whispered. Her tears overflowed, and she pulled her knees up to her chest and sobbed as quietly as she could. Finn and Rose sat on either side of her and held her. Rose looked at Kylo with pained eyes.

'None of this is your fault, Rey,' she heard Kylo speak through their bond. She choked on a sob and tried to slow her tears. Kylo stared at her intensely with caring eyes.

Rose spoke, "Hux thinks he has us by the balls with the second star killer. If there is a way we could take it out, then it would just be the ground troops to worry about, and if Hux was dead, then we could call them off."

Kylo stopped pacing and turned towards the three. He met Rey's eyes with determination. Rey paused. 

"What about Poe?" Rey asked. Rose looked at Finn, and Finn answered instead.

"He's kind of insane right now with everything going on." He gritted his teeth. "We have to do this without telling him. If he knew Kylo was here right now helping us, he would use every weapon we have on base to attack him. We can't include him."

"And the general?" Kylo's question about his own mother made Rey look up at him. He stared at her for a second then looked back at Finn.

"They're going to kill her in three days if we don't turn you two over," Finn's voice cracked. "Poe obviously can't go against her wishes right now, but he's trying to persuade her. I think he told Hux that he's finding Kylo regardless of what the general says."

Rey covered her mouth with her hands. 

"This is why she told me about her vision," Rose spoke again. "She wanted me to know the truth about who Kylo really was. That way, we'd help you."

"Do you have the location of the second star killer?" Kylo was already heading to the door. Finn stood up to respond.

"Yeah, Rose and I hacked into the system earlier and snagged it. We figured we'd go ourselves if you didn't show up. But you did."

Finn gave a small smile to Kylo, and held out his hand. Kylo hesitated at first, but finally shook Finn's hand. Rey couldn't believe what she was seeing, and her heart almost burst.

"We're leaving now," Kylo commanded, his old habits coming back with his stress. Rey stood with Rose's help. She met Kylo's eyes as he spoke to her.

"Thank you for trusting me," he said out loud. Rey took hold of his massive gloved hand and smiled up at him with admiration.

"Star Killer Round Two," Finn said sarcastically. With that, the four of them snuck out into the night


	18. Poe

Kylo, Rey, Rose, and Finn returned to base bloody and bruised. They had infiltrated the First Order and destroyed the weapon, barely making it off the planet alive. Using an encrypted channel, they made contact with Chewie who was hiding on the Falcon tucked away in the forest. The foursome told him the good news, their triumphant yells popping out of the speaker like confetti. That was his signal to do some exploding, one of his favorite things.

Chewie launched a grenade into the crowd of troopers outside the conference room. The blast destroyed the wall and sent a few troopers flying through the air. Poe, shaken at first, took advantage of the blast and started firing, barely missing Hux's head and grazing his ear. The troopers covered Hux as they rescued him, then turned on Poe and the General. Resistance fighters flooded the hallways as the general used her comm link to call everyone to arms. With the troopers occupied for the moment, the general was able to escape underground.

The rebel base was alight with blaster fire. Poe was backed into a corner with several other rebels, crouched behind an overturned table, trying to keep the First Order troopers away from one of the entrances to the underground. The resistance was slowly starting to lose their edge. 

The general sent a hologram to the hostage planets while underground. She told them to fight, that the resistance had destroyed the second star killer, and they were safe from total destruction. The atmosphere felt thick with bloodshed as the people of the galaxy took their last stand against the First Order.

Rose and Finn ran to another secret underground door, bringing weapons with them. Kylo and Rey fought their way through the troopers swarming the halls of the base until they were close to Poe's location. Using the Force, the two worked together to take out most of the troopers in the halls, giving Poe and his soldiers an exit. 

Poe was running towards them, but he hadn't seen Kylo yet. Kylo grabbed Rey's shoulder.

"I'm going to find Hux," he spoke, his voice hoarse from yelling. Rey nodded, and Kylo disappeared before Poe had a chance to catch him.

Poe ran to Rey and hugged her tightly. Rey was hesitant, but she also knew she couldn't give away the fact that Kylo was there. So she hugged him back as best she could knowing he wanted to kill her bond mate.

"Where are Finn and Rose?" Poe asked, hurriedly.

Rey was already running as she spoke, "They're with the general. Finn just radioed and said she was fine, and they're on their way now to the third back exit. We have to clear that area before troopers get to that door." 

Poe alerted his group to come with them, and they all ran as they blasted troopers in every direction, Rey swinging her light saber with ease and reflecting blaster fire to protect the group.

"Are Chewie and BB-8 with the Falcon?" Poe asked as he blasted a trooper to his right.

"Yeah, they're ready for us," Rey responded, slicing through a storm trooper's shoulder. The man screamed in agony.

"What about Hux?" Poe shot two troopers in a row as if it were nothing.

"I'll deal with Hux," Rey lied, knowing Kylo was already looking for him. Poe protested.

"Rey, we need you with the general. I'll send a team to locate Hux..."

Rey interrupted, yelling louder than she meant to, "No, Poe! Let me handle it!"

Poe stopped talking when heard the intensity of Rey's voice. The group of rebels had almost made it to the other side of the facility. Storm troopers were starting to grow in number as they infiltrated the area.

The small band of rebels attacked with fury even though they were outnumbered. 

For a moment, there was a lull as the last of the troopers succumbed to Rey's light saber. Rey opened the exit door and saw the general as she started up the steps. Finn and Rose were behind her, shooting at troopers pouring into the underground tunnel. Rey took the general's hand and hoisted her up, then the resistance soldiers flooded the tunnel to provide backup for Finn and Rose. Poe and Rey inspected the general to see if she was injured.

"No, I'm fine, really," General Organa pleaded with the two, a slight smile on her lips. "If you keep talking like that, you're going to make me feel my age."

Rey and Poe snickered. Rey ran into the general's arms, and the two held each other tightly. Poe wiped a tear from his eye.

"Rey, my beautiful Rey," murmured General Organa as she stroked the back of Rey's head. "I knew I would see you again."

Rey cried into her shoulder and had to peel herself away to gain control of herself. Poe patted Rey on the back, and Rey's body tensed. He noticed Rey's stiffness at his touch and dropped his hand, a confused expression on his face. Rey pretended she didn't see it.

"General," Poe interrupted, "We have to get you to the Falcon."

"No," General Organa spoke softly, and Poe opened his mouth to protest. The general held a hand up to his face. He closed his mouth quickly. 

"Rey, you and I have some business with Hux," she said, sending Rey a knowing look.

"That's right, general." Rey turned to Poe. "I need you with Chewie right now."

Poe was shaking his head, but he was quiet. "Okay, Rey. Just...contact me if you need me."

Rey nodded yes, turned with the general then made her way towards Kylo's Force signature.

Rey started to ask the general about her vision when she heard Kylo's light saber vibrating through the air as he attacked groups of storm troopers. Hux was covered with troopers as he ran towards his First Order ship, but Kylo was quickly gaining speed. 

Rey sped up and jumped high in the air, landing close to Kylo and swinging her saber like lightning. Kylo didn't look back, but he spoke to her through their bond.

'Thanks for the backup,' he said playfully. 'I didn't really need it, though.'

Rey rolled her eyes as she blocked blaster fire. 'Yeah, you look like you have it all under control.'

She heard his smirk and smiled herself. Kylo took out the last of the troopers around Hux before he could get to the ramp of his ship. Hux was ejected into the air, his face turning multiple shades of red and purple as Kylo crushed his windpipe, eyes blazing with revenge.

"Kylo, please," Hux choked while he clawed at the invisible hand at his neck. 'I did all of this for you."

Kylo didn't respond and squeezed harder. Hux tried again.

"You looked weak; the galaxy needed to know their Supreme Leader is powerful and merciless. If you'll just let me explain wh..."

Kylo crushed his neck, and it made a horrible snapping sound as it bent at a right angle. Hux's body fell to the ground. Rey radioed Poe to let him know the battle was won. The resistance surrounded the remaining storm troopers and took them prisoner. Rey and Kylo shared a look, both panting heavily from exertion. It was over.

The general made her way to them, her face content as she looked upon her son for the first time in years. Kylo tensed under her gaze, but he met her eyes as she came forward. Rey stepped away to give the two privacy.

She watched as they spoke to each other. Tears fell from her eyes as she watched Kylo break, falling into his mother's arms and holding her close. The general wore a smile like Rey had never seen before, and she felt the weight of the past lift off of his shoulders through their bond. Kylo finally knew he was forgiven.

A blast rang out in the night, and Rey watched with horror as it ripped into Kylo's side, followed by another that hit right behind his shoulder. The general tried to hold onto him, but he was too heavy and crumpled to the ground. Rey screamed and ran to him.

She pulled him onto his good side so she could see him. His breathing was shallow as blood flowed from his body. Rey knew the blasts were fatal, but she wouldn't let herself believe it. She cradled his head in her hands as he looked up at her face. 

Kylo spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "The bounty hunter..."

Rey whipped her head around to see the masked menace walking towards them, blaster drawn. The general stood still in place, and Rey radioed for Poe to come immediately as she stood in front of her and Kylo, saber drawn.

In the distance, Poe frantically ran around the corner with several rebels and slid to a stop at the sight in front of him. He saw the bounty hunter who nodded to Poe, and his eyes widened as Rey caught the interaction. Her face was deadly, not even human. He was scared, and he looked at the general who only offered a look of pity before she turned back to Rey and Kylo.

Poe's face twisted into a look of pure horror, and his yell sounded strange in Rey's ears. She turned her head slightly at the sound; it was only for a second, then she heard another blaster shot. 

It was as if everything was in slow motion. 

She grabbed her saber and swung to block the shot, but she was too late. The general stood in front of Rey, a blaster shot to her chest.


	19. A Visitor

Red. Everything was red. She could smell burning flesh, and she had the faint sense that her body was moving. Someone shouted that they had a medevac. That was a good thing, but she couldn't remember why. She heard desperate screaming. Dark power surged through her veins, making her feel godlike. She felt resistance with each electric whooshing sound, like she was hitting something, but she didn't know what the sound was. More screaming. Then a voice, soft at first, then louder. The red turned into a blue shade that intensified by the second, and her vision started to focus.

"Rey, you gotta stop," the familiar voice spoke to her. She squinted her eyes against the bright light, trying to see his face. She couldn't move.

"You know you don't want to kill anyone, or you would have been more accurate with your saber," the voice continued. 

Rey blinked, her mind working hard to place this strange man. 

"You have to resist the pull to the Dark side."

Her eyes finally adjusted, and she gasped. 

It was Luke Skywalker, all shiny and blue, his ghost looming in front of her. Rey dropped her saber and fell to her knees, her memory coming back to her in a tidal wave of pain.

"Master Luke," Rey was crying now. "What have I done?"

Luke sighed. "You did some damage, that's for sure. But no one is dead. Even Poe. You tried to slice his head clean off."

Rey sobbed, staring at the ground. "What about..."

"Why don't you go back and see," Luke encouraged. Rey shook her head.

"I can't. I just attacked my own people! I'm too dangerous."

Luke took a step forward and knelt down in front of Rey. His face was wrinkled with time and stress, but his eyes were still warm and comforting.

"Rey, none of them have injuries that can't heal in a few days." Luke smiled softly, watching Rey's face go from misery to relief.

"There are still others that need you."

Rey choked on a sob. "But they're going to die. If I give in to the Dark side right now, I won't have to feel this pain. I'll be free."

Luke shook his head. "It's your choice, Rey, but even in the dark, you will still remember your mistakes."

Rey wiped her eyes and looked at Luke. Luke smiled again.

"Trust the Force, Rey," Luke urged. "Don't give in to a false promise of peace."

Rey nodded and stood up, feeling shame in a way she'd never felt before. She was so afraid and wanted to run away from it all.

"I don't know if I can go on without them, if I can go on without..." she trailed off. She couldn't say Kylo's name. It would make it real.

"You have to trust the Force," Luke repeated. He was fading away. "Go to them. And remember, no one is ever really gone."

Regret hit her in the stomach like a rock. She wanted to apologize to her old master.

"Master Luke, I..."

He held up a fading hand. "I know, Rey." He nodded his head, knowing what she was about to say. 

Rey took a deep breath. She heard Luke speaking as the rest of him faded away, taking the radiant blue light with him.

"The Force will be with you, always."


	20. A Mother’s Love

The scene Ray witnessed was surreal.

People were bleeding all around her. They looked at her with fear and confusion. Rey felt her stomach roll and thought she was going to be sick.

But as she looked closer, she noticed that each wound was minor. She had spared them, even though the Darkness had overtaken her. The Light in her refused to give up, and for that she was thankful.

She then turned her eyes to Leia and Kylo. Both laid on the ground, and their hands were locked together. Finn and Rose stood over them, sweating and panting. 

Rey expected them to shrink away, to run, to stop her from seeing her bond mate one more time.

Instead, Rose embraced her with a ferocity that almost knocked her down. Finn looked up from Leia's side at Rey and smiled weakly.

"Rey, it's okay," Rose started. She turned Rey's head towards Kylo and Leia. Leia looked cold. Death was taking her, but Kylo was breathing stronger. He had color in his cheeks, his fingers moved in Leia's hand. Rey dropped down beside Kylo and took his head in her hands. She was bewildered.

"How is this possible?" Rey asked as a medevac team arrived. She used the Force to lift his heavy body onto a gurney. 

A tear rolled down Rose's face. "Leia had us move her over to Kylo so she could take his hand..." Rose couldn't finish, so Finn jumped in. 

"She told us before she went unconscious. Turns out, she only told Rose part of the vision. The general knew that all three of you were going to die, and that you would try to sacrifice yourself for Leia when the time came. So, she decided she would save you from the blaster shot and give Kylo her life force."

Rose added softly, "It was her way of showing Kylo, or Ben...I guess, forgiveness." 

Rey felt her consciousness threatening to leave her, but she fought it. Helping the medevac team was the only thing saving her at the moment as she processed their words. She lifted Leia onto another gurney and stood back, letting the team work. Rey knew it was no use; there was no chance of bringing Leia back after what she did for Kylo. Her voice cracked and shook as she spoke. 

"Leia sacrificed her life for Kylo and me."

Finn and Rose nodded.

As they worked to get the two gurneys ready for transport, Rey noticed that a large group of wounded resistance fighters had formed around them. They were no longer looking at Rey with fear, but with sympathy. She could feel their forgiveness filling her soul. 

Suddenly, Rey remembered the bounty hunter and jumped in front of her friends, ready to defend. She whipped her head around, looking for him.

Rose grabbed her by the arm, knowing what she was about to ask.

"Poe killed him."

At the sound of Poe's name, Rey finally passed out.


	21. Finn Mediates

Kylo had been in the hospital for about a week. Rey never left his side. Finn and Rose would stop by every other day, which provided endless entertainment for Rey. Kylo was also warming up to the pair, even though he claimed it was the drugs making him soft.

Today was the day of Rey's meeting with Poe, and she was sick that whole morning. Kylo couldn't sit up yet, so he could only offer his hand as comfort. Rey held it tightly as the time came closer and closer. 

She had avoided Poe, and he had avoided her, understandably. Rumors about Poe's mental state made Rey worry, even though she didn't want to feel anything for him. She knew she still cared for Poe, and he ultimately needed all of his friends right now. But she was still full of rage and disgust. She had no idea how to get past everything. It was a constant buzzing in Rey's head, her feelings so intense everyday. She had to work something out or she was going to go crazy.

She kissed Kylo and headed towards the meeting room. She opened the door and sat down, thankful that she was the first one there. Five minutes later, Finn arrived, followed by Poe. 

It was as if time stopped when Poe met Rey's gaze. He looked like a man on the brink of death. His face was sunken in so badly that he almost didn't look like himself anymore. His hair was everywhere, and his beard had grown. 

Finn motioned for Poe to sit, then Finn found his own chair. For a moment, there was silence as all three stared at the table, unsure how to proceed.

Finn decided to break the ice.

"Rey, Poe. You both know why we're here. We have to confront this thing head on if any of us are going to move on with our lives. It's what Leia would want us to do."

At the mention of Leia, Poe closed his eyes. Finn gave him a minute before he continued.

"Poe, you can to tell Rey everything. Rey, you can respond when he's finished."

Rey nodded and fixed her eyes on Poe. He tried to make eye contact with her but couldn't hold it for long without glancing back down at the table. He took a deep breath.

"Rey, first, I want to say that I am so unbelievably sorry for the pain I've caused you and everyone else," he said as his eyes filled with tears. "I take full responsibility for Leia's death and Kylo's injuries. I take full responsibility for everything."

Rey opened her mouth to speak, but Finn stopped her.

Poe continued. "I hired the bounty hunter out of spite. I convinced myself I was doing the resistance a service, taking down the escaped 'Supreme Leader' myself, you know...become the hero of the revolution," he said sarcastically, knowing his decisions did nothing of the sort. "In reality, I just didn't want to believe you loved him, telling myself you were under his control and everything. Deep down I knew it wasn't true. I had no right..."

Poe choked again, but pressed on. "I had no right to do what I did. I didn't come to my senses until it was too late, and Hux had already taken over the base. I tried slipping a note to Finn, but I couldn't get all of it written in time. The only thing it said was 'BH, not Rey.'"

"Thankfully I've worked with Poe enough that I knew what he meant," Finn chimed in.

Poe spoke again, "We couldn't contact you without giving away your position, so we were kind of stranded. I could only wait and see if you came back. And then...I fucked it up. Rey, I fucked it all up...I'm so sorry..."

Poe started to completely break down. "It's alright," Finn whispered. Poe nodded.

"When the fight started, I didn't think about the bounty hunter because I assumed you already knew. When I ran around the corner to attack him, it was too late."

Poe stared at the table for a moment, then continued. "As it turns out, there were supposed to be two bounty hunters. Somehow, Hux found out about my plan, so he found the same guy and gave him a better offer for the two of you. The asshole was going to collect double payment." Poe's hands balled into fists on the table.

Rey was frozen, unblinking, as if she had turned into concrete. Poe made another effort to make eye contact. He looked at Rey, but when he saw her face, he broke. He put his head down on the table and cried. Finn patted him on the back and let him grieve.

"Rey, you can respond now. Poe and I will answer all of your questions the best we can."

There was a long pause, the room thick with tension and despair. Finally, Rey leaned forward and spoke.

"Poe, Leia stepped in front of that blaster voluntarily. You now know about the vision she had, right? So you see why it happened. She intended for everything to play out the way it did, as much as we wish it were different."

Rey let out a deep breath and spoke, "Leia's death is not your fault."

Poe raised his head up at her statement. His mouth hung open and his eyes widened in shock.

"Rey, do you really belei..."

Rey interrupted Poe. "It's not a belief, Poe. It's a fact."

Poe slumped in his chair as he took in her words. Finn observed the two a small smile. 

"Who else knows about all of this?" Rey asked.

Finn answered this time, "Only Rose, me, and Chewie...and BB-8 if you're counting droids."

Rey thought for a moment. She fought the tears forming in her eyes. She didn't want to look weak in front of Poe.

"Finn, since you are to be sworn in as our new general, I believe it's up to you to make the final decision regarding Poe's fate," Rey spoke as firmly as she could, but her voice trembled. Finn raised an eyebrow. 

She went on. "However, it's my recommendation that no further action be taken. Poe has to live with his actions for the rest of his life, and that is punishment enough."

Poe looked back and forth between Finn and Rey. He was dumbfounded by Rey's words, but he had to admit, he already knew Rey's kind heart. This was the type of thing she would do.

Finn responded, putting a hand on Poe's shoulder. "Poe, you're cleared, buddy. You can return to work in six months."

Poe gave the biggest smile he could give, which only amounted to a lip curl. He focused on Rey, gratefulness in his eyes.

"We need to make sure none of this gets out, of course," Finn thought out loud. "I'll erase the memory from BB-8's hard drive just to be safe. Otherwise, I think this our secret is safe within our group." 

Rey nodded in agreement.

Poe turned his head to Finn. "What about..." then he turned his head to Rey, "Kylo Ren?"

Rey and Finn looked at each other. Finn motioned for Rey to speak.

"He and I are leaving as soon as he is able to fly."

Poe nodded sadly. 

Finn joked to ease the tension. "Don't go visiting Kylo with a balloon and a 'Get Well Soon' card..."

All three snickered. Finn smiled widely, proud of himself and his joke.

Poe pushed his chair back. "I'm sorry Kylo wasn't able to go to Leia's funeral."

Rey lowered head. "I know," she whispered. 

The three took a moment, then Finn stood first, signaling to them that the meeting was over. Rey watched Poe as he walked towards the door. She felt her heart break with every step he took, and she couldn't stand it anymore.

"Poe," she called to him. He turned to face her.

"Yes...?" 

Rey interrupted him with a hug. She sobbed into his shoulder, and Poe cried for what felt like the 100th time that day. Finn couldn't stop his smile. 

His family was back. Broken and healing, but back nonetheless.


	22. The End of the Beginning

The morning was beautiful. Rey stood in front of a large window overlooking a field, the sun beaming down on her face while she sipped a hot beverage. She wore the same fuzzy robe from her time in the now dissolved First Order, but it was still too long. Kylo had tried to convince her to have it tailored, but she refused. She couldn't bare the thought of someone cutting it up. It held too many memories. She laughed as she remembered one of her favorites; Kylo pulling pins out of her hair while she tried to hide in the fur.

She felt strong arms encircle her from behind. He buried his face into her neck, and she felt him smiling.

"Were you listening to me again?" She asked.

"What would you do if I was?" Kylo growled as he lightly nipped her neck. Rey shuddered and tried not to spill her drink. She turned to face him.

"What was going through your head that morning? Why did you even offer to help with my hair?"

Kylo smiled mischievously. He took Rey's drink from her hand and sat it on a nearby table.

"It was an excuse to get close to you, to touch you. Then, when I got there, I could see down your shirt." Kylo let out an exaggerated sigh. "That was a good morning."

Rey slapped him on the shoulder, feigning offense. Kylo attacked and wrapped her tighter in his arms, pinning her so she couldn't slap him again. She squirmed, trying to escape.

"There's no way you could have seen anything!" Rey exclaimed. "I took precautions!"

"I never lie about cleavage."

Rey started to scold him, but he picked her up and brought her into their bedroom. Rey yelped as he threw her on their bed. She sat up on her knees to confront him, but Kylo grabbed her wrists and pulled them behind her so she couldn't move.

"Kylo, you are so bad," she teased. "You're not supposed to look down the shirt of your apprentice."

Kylo cocked an eyebrow and pulled her into him. She still loved to taunt him.

"Well, you did fall in love with the Supreme Leader of the First Order. 'Bad' is my middle name." His eyes darkened with desire. "While we're on the topic, lately you've been bad yourself. I think you need another lesson with your master."

Rey laughed into his mouth as he tried to silence her protest with a kiss. She pushed her body into him, getting close. He let go of her wrists, and slid his hands down her sides to rest on her hips. She ran her hands through his shiny, black, beautiful mane of hair.

"Teach away, oh wise Master!"

**

Finn watched the stars glitter in the blackness of space. It had been a year since he had seen Kylo and Rey. They kept in touch, of course, but it wasn't the same. He didn't feel sad, though. He couldn't help but be content knowing they were deliriously happy on whatever planet they chose as a home. Their future was still undecided, but for now, they were content taking their time to explore their Force bond, something they both deserved after everything they had gone through.

Poe was flying again. He taught new recruits and ran missions for Finn. He knew Poe would never be the same after the war, but it wasn't as bad as Finn thought it would be. Poe was more levelheaded, less spontaneous. He had taken his fly boy attitude down a notch, which was just what Finn needed for his galactic air force. He was proud of his friend for the progress he had made, and Rey even sent a hologram one day just for Poe, letting him know she was proud of him too. He smiled for the rest of the day afterward.

Rose walked over to Finn and put a hand on his arm.

"You coming to bed, babe?" She smiled up at him, her large belly blocking Finn's view of her feet.

"Yeah, I was just thinking."

"...about how you're going to be a father in a month, and it's the most terrifying resistance mission ever?"

Finn huffed. "Thanks for that, Rose. Now I'll have nightmares about fighting babies with a blaster."

"It won't be the first one," Rose laughed. Finn smiled and took her hand. 

Their room was warm and inviting. Soft yellow lights lit the corners where boxes of baby things were piled together. The nursery was almost finished, and they could finally get everything out of their room. Finn was already sick of the color pink. He didn't know how he would cope with the newly painted walls when he was in the nursery with his baby girl.

Rose sighed happily as she pulled him into their bed.

"At least I won't be the only girl now," she said as she fluffed her pillow.

"You will be if you keep forcing us to look at pink stuff."

Rose laughed loudly and pulled her husband into a kiss. He turned off their lamps and nestled himself into the blankets, making himself a warm cocoon.

"Leave one of them on. It's too dark in here," Rose complained. Finn moaned in frustration as he tore himself away from the warmth.

He turned on a light, flooding the darkness.


End file.
